


In Hiding

by Angel_of_the_Starz



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fugitives, Gen, On the Run, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-03-21 12:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 58,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3691767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_of_the_Starz/pseuds/Angel_of_the_Starz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra tried hard not to think about Kuvira living in a jail cell waiting for her trial to start – until she finds her sitting on her bed, looking for a place to hide. Set after series finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Korra grunted as she performed a deadlift. She held the weight for a few seconds before dropping it back to the ground. She hummed along to the jazz music playing out of the radio across the room.

_"Prince Wu, now known as King Wu, has returned to the Earth Kingdom, eager to start his plans to abolish the monarchy of the Earth Kingdom," a radio announcer said. "His plans to turn every nation in the Earth Kingdom to individual states is a big project that the young monarch will take on and oversee."_

"I don't think there's anyone else better suited for the job," Korra mumbled. She walked over to a rack of dumbbells and picked up a pair the heaviest pair. She walked over to a mat and placed her feet shoulder width apart before performing some arm curls.

_"In other news, Kuvira, previously know was the Great Uniter, has her trial date set. The case will be handled in about three month's time. Until then, she will be held in the Republic City prison in solitary confinement. Kuvira was arrested for terrorism among a list of other crimes."_

Korra looked over at the radio and frowned. She placed the dumbbells onto the ground before wiping the perspiration off of her forehead with the bottom of her shirt. She walked over to the radio sitting on the shelf and turned the volume down with a twist of a knob. She leaned against the shelf, tapping her finger on her chin.

A swift knock came on the door. Korra gazed at the doors to the gym before straightening up. "Come in," she called out.

"Hey," Asami said softly as she slipped into the room. "I hope I'm not bothering you." She had a white towel draped over her arm.

"Nah, I just finished."

Asami shifted from foot to foot. "Tenzin had called and is wondering if you could stop by and watch his children as he travels to the next city." She pointed over her shoulder. "Pema is currently out shopping."

"Yeah, I can do that," Korra said with a shrug. She neared the door but paused at her sports bag sitting off to the side. She plucked a water bottle out of a side pocket and took a big gulp after popping the cap off. "Thanks for letting me use your gym. I didn't really want to be bothered at the temple."

"It is no problem," Asami said while handing her a towel. "You can use it whenever you need it." She pinched the bottom of Korra's shirt when she noticed the dark stain at the bottom. Korra brushed her hand away. "My mansion is your mansion…and Mako's and Bolin's…and their families…and Prince Wu's when he's in the city," she listed off.

"Isn't it too crowded for you?" Korra's voice was muffled by the towel as she pattered her skin dry.

"No, I like the hustle and bustle," Asami admitted. "It's better than being alone." Korra pulled the towel away from her face and looked at Asami. Her eyes were downcast toward the ground.

She knew that look. It only appeared whenever she found herself thinking about her father. After the battle with Kuvira and her army invasion, Asami was contracted by President Raiko to help oversee plans to advance the city. Korra knew Asami had taken the job because she help rebuild the city's infrastructure the first time, but she couldn't help but feel it was also to distract herself from dealing with her father's death.

"You know, if you need some peace and quiet you can come back to Air Temple Island," Korra said gently. She flipped the towel over her shoulder before placing a hand on Asami's shoulder.

Asami lifted her gaze. The corner of her lips twitched. "And risk having one of Tenzin's kids catching us?"

"We've shared a room before," Korra said with a shrug.

"Yes, but we weren't," she paused while thinking of the right word to describe their situation, "…involved…at the time."

"I can keep a secret." Korra rolled her eyes as Asami chuckled. Korra was one of the last people that could keep a secret. She had dead giveaways when she would hide something. It was only a matter of hours before the news that Lin and Tenzin had dated was spread around their group. "Have a good day at work…filing papers and reading reports."

"Those are not the only things I do," Asami insisted. She plucked the towel off of Korra's shoulder as she bent down to place her water bottle back into her bag.

"Yeah, but it's the few things I understand," Korra said. She placed her sports bag onto her back and picked up her glider. "I'm going to head out before it starts raining." She turned towards Asami and held her arms out. She paused and bit her bottom lip. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. Asami smiled softly before tilting her head a bit to the right. Korra quickly leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her cheek before rushing past her. "Talk to you later," she called over her shoulder.

Korra exited the Sato Mansion and hoped up on her glider before taking off into the air. She got a bird's eye view of the destruction after the final battle with Kuvira. "And here President Raiko thought the Spirit Vines were bad," she muttered against the breeze. Korra sighed hard before directing her glider in the direction of Air Temple Island.

"Good, Korra, you're here," Tenzin said as she landed in the quad. Rohan was perched on his head, pulling at his ears. Korra sped walked up the stairs and in to the temple's sleeping quarters.

"I'll be right there, Tenzin," she called out as she passed him. "I just need to change really quick."

Korra twirled her glider around in her fingers as she walked down the hallway towards her room. She instantly stopped when she noticed the door was slightly open. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up. Korra quietly placed her glider against the wall before tiptoeing over to the door, careful not to step on a piece of floor board three inches away from the entrance. It squeaked very loudly.

She leaned over and peered into the sliver of space between the door and the doorframe. The room was dark but she could see someone's upper body backlit from the light pouring into the room from the window. Korra silently cursed herself for not remembering to lock her window, after the many times Tenzin suggested the idea to her. And by suggest, it was more like ordered.

Korra held her right hand open. The cap to her water bottle popped off and flew into the air. She quickly caught it in her left hand slipped it into her pocket while bending the water into the bottle. It stretched out and she formed the tip into an icy point. Korra slowly slipped into the room. With her left hand she conjured up a fireball in her palm. She raised her right arm high and moved into a low stance, water swirling up above her head…and then in bewilderment, dropped her arm. The water splashed to the ground and washed over her feet.

There, sitting on the corner of her bed, was Kuvira.

The two stared at each other, neither making a move. Korra scanned her face, taking note of her black eye and a cut near her right temple. She then noticed Kuvira was holding her right side, the same side that was injured after their standoff when she invaded Republic City. Her hair was a tousled mess and her clothes were ripped in various places. Korra then noticed she was barefoot.

After a few more seconds, Kuvira broke the silence.

"Avatar Korra."


	2. Chapter 2

“Your window was unlocked,” Kuvira said. She raised and dropped one shoulder in which Korra took as an attempt to shrug. Korra tossed the flame above her palm across the room and lit the candles on the wall. The room was enveloped in a soft orange glow, making Kuvira’s bruising much more noticeable in the new light.

“Man, that means he was right,” she muttered before rapidly shaking her head. “Why are you here?” she hissed. “How did you escape from jail?”

Kuvira took a slow deep breath. Her bangs flittered a bit. Her long dark hair was a tangled mess of curls and knots. “Something electrical caused a problem so they had to escort all of the prisoners out into the streets.” She took another deep breath. “Some took that chance to run away as a majority of the police were busy.”

“And by some you mean you?” Korra asked slowly.

Kuvira lifted her head a bit and blinked. “And a few other people, yes.”

“Why haven’t I heard this on the news?” Korra tapped her chin. “Better yet, Beifong would have been on this like earth underneath her mother’s toenails.”

“You don’t exactly have a radio in here,” Kuvria pointed out as she looked around the small room. “You did just arrive back here from vesting Sato Mansion which is in the opposite direction. Plus, news can be slow to get out. I knew I would have a head start.”

“How did you know I was at Sato Mansion?”

Kuvira pulled her think lips into a line. “I’m just good a finding things.”

“But you surrendered after I pulled you out of the Spirit Portal

“I did,” Kuvira agreed, “But I can’t stay there. I won’t be able to fix things sitting in a room small enough to be a one person bathroom.”

“Well, it was solitary confinement,” Korra said with a slight eye roll. Kuvira glared at her. Normally, Korra would have been a little bit intimidated by her harsh look, but her long hair framing her face made her look softer. “Anyway, why did you come here?”

“You’re the Avatar.” Kuvira coughed twice. Korra noticed her body instantly tense up. “It’s your duty to protect people.”

“So?” Korra dragged the word out, not really catching on.

“So, am I not people?”

“I can’t exactly hold a prisoner in my room,” Korra shouted .She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth and turned, wide eyed, towards the door. A few seconds passed in silence, aside from the creaking of the bed as Kuvria shifted. “How did you even know I stayed here?” she dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. 

Kuvira had to read her lips before answering: “I say again, I’m good at finding things.”

Korra peered closely at her. “You know seismic sense don’t you?” she deduced.

“If you’re a Beifong, you know seismic sense.”

“Korra,” Tenzin called out as he knocked on the door. 

“Crap,” Korra muttered. She motioned for Kuvira to stay quiet as she held her breath. “Korra, I’m about to head out. Are you ready to watch the children yet?”

“Almost,” she shouted, a little too loudly. Kuvira flinched at the sound before clenching her jaw. “Just have them play in the quad. I’ll be right there,” Korra called back. She walked over to her armoire and pulled out a change of pants and a shirt.

“Who were you talking to?” Tenzin questioned.

Korra gasped and dropped the clothes to the floor. Kuvira watched silently her hands shake as she bent down to pick up the clothing. “No one. I was talking to myself. I do that a lot.”

A few seconds later the sounds of muffled footsteps grew faint. Korra let out a big sigh of relief. She turned towards Kuvira and paused when she noticed the somewhat amused look on her face.

“Avatar Korra, a fantastic fighter and the one to bring balance to the world, is a terrible liar.” Kuvira clicked her tongue. She chuckled but winced in pain before tightening her grip around her mid section.

“I’ll fix that for you in a second,” Korra said quietly. “Turn around,” she ordered. Kuvira raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want you watching me while I change.” Kuvira nodded once before slowly shifting around so that she was facing the head of Korra’s bed.

Korra closed her window and pulled the curtains shut. She quickly stepped out of her sweaty clothes before pulling on a dry pair of pants and a shirt. She fluffed her hair up and out of the collar before mentioning to Kuvira that it was okay for her to turn back around.

“I would heal that for you but I have to go out and distract the kids for a little while.” Korra grabbed Kuvira’s chin and slowly tilted her head in various directions, gazing at the cuts and bruising. “I suggest you hide under the bed.”

“Why would I-”

“Sometimes the air acolytes come in here and clean,” Korra answered. She let go of Kuvira’s chin and took a few steps back. She reached out to move her arm out of the way, but Kuvira let out a soft growl.

“So why would being under the bed be a good place to hide?” Kuvira asked.

“I suggest you look down there.”

Kuvira grimaced as she lowered herself down onto her knees on the floor. She leaned forward and whimpered before resting her head onto the ground. The light from the candles gave a little bit of a view to her. A lot of dust was nestled underneath the bed as well as a pair of light blue socks. Kuvira rolled her eyes and then let out a heavy sneeze. A small dust cloud puffed up into the air.

“Those haven’t been touched since I got here,” Korra explained. 

Kuvira waved her hand in the air to get rid of the dust. She looked over her shoulder at Korra. “So, does me hiding mean I get to stay?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Korra slid the door open. She stepped into the hallway and turned to face Kuvira. She pulled the door closed, but just enough so that no one would be able to see past her shoulders. Korra gazed at her before giving a deep sigh. Kuvira forced herself not to smile. “Just try not to make too much noise. When the coast is clear I’ll escort you to the showers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these first two chapters are short, but they're basically introductory chapters seeing as I just started this story off of an idea so I really have no idea where each chapter goes until I'm done with them. :) Think of it as a surprise for all of us.
> 
> On a different note, I just got an idea for a new LOK Korrasami fic where Asami is Korra's crazy ex-girlfriend. It would be a Modern AU and not really follow the plot lines of the show except for making a few references. It's supposed to just be a somewhat silly and funny/fun story that I would hope would not be taken seriously. Would anyone be interested in reading that kind of story?


	3. Chapter 3

Korra tried to focus on the game of air ball that she and Tenzin’s children were playing, but every so often air acolyte would come down the hallway, or one of the kids would say something about grabbing a toy, which would set the Avatar on edge. When an air acolyte would pass she would constantly look over her shoulder to make sure they didn’t enter or go anywhere near her room. When one of the children wanted to go to their rooms she insisted that she accompany them, making up some lame excuse about some possible chi-blockers attacking them and they needed her protection.

She could tell Ikki and Jinora weren’t buying the story. Meelo, however, wanted to go along as extra man power. Rohan would just start wailing every time one of his siblings left but and would capture them in a tight hug upon their return. Jinroa, the ever so intuitive one, just kept drilling Korra with questionable looks. Luckily, Ikki’s attention span was about as fast, or as short, as her sentences so Korra didn’t have to deal with too much from her.

Finally, Pema had returned from her shopping trip and she ushered her children into the temple to have them do their school work. It was dusk now, and Korra knew that most people would be catching up on their studies or working on dinner or laundry at this point that the bathhouse and bathing areas would be empty. From her time at the temple, whenever it was her time to bathe no one would interrupt her two hour soak. Tenzin gave everyone strict orders not to bother her unless it was a life or death emergency. With having the title of Avatar, the chosen one is required some down time to themselves and since she grew up in the south, it was always a hot bath that calmed her down.

Korra tiptoed back to her room and crept inside. “Hey, it’s me,” she hissed as she made her way over to the armoire. As Kuvira slowly pushed herself out from underneath her bed, Korra dropped to her knees and tugged on the drawer at the base. “We should be fine once we get to the bathing area but we’re going to have to be very quiet. Some air acolytes may still be walking around.”

“Do they have bending?” Kuvira asked while getting to her feet. She lifted her arm and brushed at the dust in her hair. After a few seconds she groaned before dropping her arm again.

“No, but they live the way of life air nomads used to and carry on the teachings and culture.” Korra grabbed a small basket out of the drawer before filling it with a change of clothes, towels, and some shampoo.

“So, if they can’t bend, they shouldn’t pose a problem if something were to happen,” Kuvira said evenly. Korra shrugged in response. She picked up a bar of soap and shampoo bottle before tossing them into the basket. She picked up a bottle of conditioner before standing up and closing the drawer with her foot. As she turned to face Kuvira, the bottle flew out of her hand and dropped to the floor.

Kuvria watched with a raised eyebrow as Korra’s eyes slowly widened. The Avatar held her breath and waited for the sounds of footsteps. She relaxed after a few moments of silence. Kuvira kicked the bottle back over to her. Korra picked up the bottle before walking over to the door. She slid it open before peeking her head out and looking from the left and to the right.

“Are you able to run?” Korra asked over her shoulder.

“I should be fine,” Kuvira answered.

“Good, because it’s a quick dash down the hallway and then around the side of the temple to a corner of the courtyard.” Korra stepped out of the room and moved so that Kuvira could exit. She slid the door closed before quickly taking off down the hall. Kuvira followed, albeit a tad slower and tightening her grip on her side.

Once they reached the end of the hallway Korra slowed to a stop. The sudden change in momentum caused the items in the basket to shift. A bar of soap clattered to the floor. Korra bent down to pick it up. As soon as she straightened and placed the soap back into the basket, the shampoo bottle fell out.

“You are aware that the quieter you try to be, the louder you get?” Kuvira asked.

“Well I’m sorry,” Korra hissed. “This is the first time I’m hiding a prisoner.”

“Ex-prisoner,” Kuvira corrected.

“Fine, fugitive,” she concluded. Korra looked around the corner before signaling Kuvira to follow her with a jerk of her head. “This is the first time I’m hiding a fugitive. Who cares if you get caught? The Avatar would probably be blacklisted.”

Korra and Kuvira crouched down a bit low as they scurried across the open area to the bathhouse. Korra pulled the door open and moved to the side so that Kuvira could enter before closing the door behind them. She let out a deep sigh of relief and relaxed the minute the door shut.

“It’s actually interesting.” Kuvira walked over to the edge of the bath pool in the middle of the room. “You were able to sneak into Amon’s rallies and various other places for Avatar missions pretty easily but with this, you’re essentially going to make yourself stick out like a sore thumb,” she commented.

“You followed me?” Korra asked.

“Everyone in Zaofu knew about you before you arrived years ago, Kuvira said. “The Metal Clan studies the political news and disagreements in all of the nations in case we were needed.”

“Okay, so here is everything you need.” Korra placed the basket onto the ground.

“I will be needing your assistance,” Kuvira called out.

“For what?”

“As I’m sure you can see, I’m not at my usual best." Korra stopped herself from making a comment. "I will need your help with bathing. At least, washing my hair."

“Fine. Do you..." Korra trailed off as she pointed at Kuvira's clothing. 

“I can do that myself,” Kuvira quickly answered. She shifted her gaze to the ground. “I’ve been doing it for the past six months.” Korra nodded and turned around as Kuvira slowly undressed herself. Once she heard the splashes of Kuvira submerging herself in the water, she turned and gathered the soap and hair care products.

Korra made her way over to the side of the bath pool. She slipped off her shoes and rolled up her pant legs before placing them into the water. She let out a sigh of content as the warmth of the water washed over her.

Kuvira broke the surface and let out a soft gasp. “Come here so I can wash your hair.” She moved herself over to the side of the bath pool. Korra moved her legs apart so that Kuvira could sit in between them with her back to her.

“When I’m done, would you like for me to heal that for you?” Korra had pointed at Kuvira’s side. The one she was still cradling.

“That would be nice,” Kuvira muttered. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Korra squeezed some of the shampoo into her hands before working it into a lather. She then started to apply it to Kuvira’s hair. Goosebumps erupted over Kuvira’s skin as she felt The Avatar’s nails scratching lightly against her scalp.

“How long can you hold your breath?” Korra asked.

“Pretty long.”

“Do you look at everything as a challenge?”

“Yes.”

Korra chuckled through her nose. She continued to run her fingers through Kuvira’s long hair, trying to clean the dirt and dust that had accumulated over the past few months. Every once in a while she would tab the earthbender’s shoulder, signaling for her to dunk herself to rinse the shampoo out. Once that was complete Korra started to add the conditioner.

“Thank you,” Kuvira muttered sleepily. 

“There’s no need to thank me,” Korra answered. “But, you’re welcome.”

About an hour and thity-five minutes later, Korra was starting to clean up the items she had brought in. Kuvira slapped a bar of soap and a wet wash cloth onto the side of the bath pool for Korra to collect.

“Okay, I’m going to use this water to heal your bruising and everything. I’m going to need you to submerge yourself and hold your breath until I’m done. You’ll know once the glowing has stopped. I’ll try to be fast

Kuvira made a soft noise of confirmation. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and dipped below the surface. The warmth of the water over her cuts and bruising made her want to get back out but she forced herself to get used to the feeling. Through her closed eyes she was the bright light of the water begin to glow.

Then she felt the light touches all around her body. The cut on her forehead seemed like a distance memory. The pressure around her eye was lifted. The pain in her left flank had intensified before she felt, and dully heard, a pop before fading.

_I wish I could stay like this forever._

When her lung began to burn, Kuvira blew some bubbles out of her nose. The glowing subsided a few seconds later. She broke the surface and took in a deep breath of air.

“We need to hurry and get back to my room,” Korra said. She grabbed a towel and held it out horizontally in front of her. Kuvira stepped out of the bath pool and walked over to The Avatar before wrapping it around herself. Korra then used her waterbending to help her dry off. “Just a second.” Korra walked over to the bath pool, lowered herself to her knees, and then dipped her head into the warm water. A second later she pulled herself back up.

“What are you doing?” Kuvira demanded.

“If someone were to see me leaving this area without my hair wet, they’d be suspicious,” Korra explained. She grabbed a second towel and quickly ran it through her hair.

“Understandable.”

“Here. I know it’s not pajamas but it’s the closest thing,” Korra said while holding out a light blue tank top and a spare pair of her blue water tribe sweat pants. “They might be a little too small.”

“They’re acceptable.” Korra waterbent the rest of the water off of Kuvira’s body before turning around once more so that she could get dressed.

After collecting all of their items, Korra snuck them back to her bedroom, albeit much quieter this time around. Korra dropped the basket onto the floor before exiting the room again, mentioning something about food.

Kuvira felt her mouth water at the sound of food. It had been months since she’s eaten anything decent. Sure, prison food is a lot better than school food she had as a child, but nothing could beat home cooked dinners. Kuvira took a seat on the bed and looked around the room.

“I’m lucky that I’m known for having a big appetite because otherwise Pema would have been suspicious,” Korra announced as she returned. She placed a tray full of food onto Kuvira’s lap. She grabbed a comb off of the bedside table before sitting behind Kuvira.

“What is this?” Kuvira asked while eyeing the food.

“Air Nation food,” she answered while running the comb through her dark locks. “Don’t worry, since I’ve been back Pema has been sneaking a little bit of meat into my portions. It’s not all vegetarian.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Kuvira responded before taking a big bite of one of the stuffed cabbages.

“Oh good,” Korra answered sarcastically. “You enjoy that, and I will fix up your hair.”

Kuvira dropped her fork before reaching behind her. She ran her hand down the stair of a long braid. “I didn’t think you knew how to do braids,” she commented.

“Asami taught me,” Korra admitted.

“Oh,” Kuvira said in between bites.

Her hands paused. “What do you mean by, oh?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” Kuvira shrugged. She couldn’t help but smile. Not because she had easily gotten underneath the Avatar’s skin, but because she was now able to shrug with both of her shoulders.

“So why did you come here?” Korra asked quietly.

“I already explained,” Kuvira snapped.

“There was another place you could go.”

“To whom?”

“To _him._ ”

Kuvira paused for a second. She picked at the crumbs that was left on her plate, ignoring Korra’s comments about ‘having the same appetite’. “I didn’t want to bring him into this,” she admitted.

“But you brought me into this.”

“You did say we were a lot alike,” Kuvira answered. “You just made another comparison. I felt like you would be the one person to help who wouldn’t hold a grudge over me.”

“That’s true.” Korra nodded. “While I agree with that, I believe-”

“I’m tired,” Kuvira interrupted. She pushed the tray off of her lap. Korra fastened the end of Kuviea’s braid with a simple twist Asami had shown her before taking the tray. She slid the door open and placed the tray outside of it before closing it again. Kuvira looked around the small room and then over at Korra. “Where shall I-”

“You’re taking the bed,” Korra answered. She grabbed a few spare pillows and a blanket out of the armoire before tossing them onto the floor. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“I can’t.” Kuvira shook her head.

“You can,” Korra answered. “I insist.” She set up the pillows into a makeshift mattress on the floor before climbing on top of them. She pulled the blanket up over herself and before closing her eyes.

Kuvira slowly slipped into the bed and felt the mattress outline the shape of her body. She reveled in the soft touch. Not too long later, she was out for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Korra stirred awake as she heard movement outside of her door. “How’d this get here?” she whispered as she pushed a light blue quilt off of herself. She watched as a shadow bent down briefly before standing back up. She yawned, before rolling over on her side. She heard Kuvira lightly stir from up above her on the bed. A split second later, Korra scrambled to her feet, muttering out a soft, “shit”.

She walked over to the door, on the tips of her toes as to not to wake Kuvira with the creaking floors, before slowly inching the door open. She looked down at the ground and noticed the tray was gone. She quickly slammed the door shut.

Kuvira shot up in the bed with her fists raised. Her long black hair was full of twists and curls. Once she saw Korra, who was looking at her in concern, she relaxed before laying back down. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Korra answered. “Hopefully nothing, but I can’t be too sure.”

“What do you mean?”

Korra walked over and took a seat at the end of the bed. Kuvira shifted over so, to give her some more space. “We’re not supposed to eat in our rooms, and like an idiot and placed the tray outside of the door last night. Well, it wasn’t dumb. I just didn’t want any animals to come in-”

“So, what’s the problem?” Kuvira interrupted. She had an arm resting on the bridge of her nose, covering her eyes.

“The problem is,” Korra stressed, “I just saw someone take the tray away and I was covered in that quilt.”

Kuvira sighed hard before sitting up in the bed once more. She rubbed her eyes before nodding in the direction of Korra’s makeshift bedding. “I put it there,” she muttered.

“What?”

“You were shivering in the middle of the night,” she answered quietly. Kuvira threw the covers off of herself before dangling her legs off of the side of the bed. She reached for the brush on the nearby table and started to attack the knots. “I found it in the armoire. I put it on you.”

“Okay, that answers that, but anyone could have poked their head in when they found the tray,” Korra continued. 

Kuvira winced as she tugged on a knot of hair. She reached up and yanked it from her scalp, wincing at the sting, before dropping the small bundle to the floor. “Well, until someone confronts you or comes into this room, I don’t see an issue,” she said with a shrug.

“You’re awfully calm for someone who’s on the run,” Korra commented. 

“I would have been caught by now if I didn’t have my emotions in check.”

Korra stiffened as she heard a sound in the distance. She lowered her head and strained to hear a soft sound. It had caught her attention since it gradually got louder. The louder the sound got the faster it moved. “Oh shoot!”

“Now what?” Kuvira demanded.

“Get under the bed,” she instructed. Kuvira instantly stopped brushing her hair and looked over at Korra who was holding the door closed. Kuvira stomped a foot to the ground and closed her eyes. After a second, she dropped the brush and rolled herself underneath the bed as soon as Korra stepped back and the door flung open.

“KoKo!” Rohan shouted as he rushed over to her. He shrieked excitedly as he hugged her legs. 

“Hey, little man,” Korra greeted him happily. She picked him up and held him in his arms. Rohan rubbed his eyes as she surveyed her bedroom door for damages. “You sure are getting strong, aren’t you?” she commented. She lightly tickled his stomach. Rohan giggled and squirmed in her arms.

“I hope he didn’t wake you,” Pema said as she stepped into the room. “I turned my head for one second and he just took off.”

“No, I was already up,” Korra answered. She closed her eyes as Rohan placed his hands into her face. He crawled up onto her back before settling himself on her shoulders. Korra tickled the bottoms of his feet as he grabbed onto her ears to hold himself up.

“Was Asami here?” Pema asked.

“What makes you say that?” Korra demanded. She continued to mess with Rohan for a bit more before pulling him off of her shoulders and setting him onto the ground. He instantly ran over to her bed and climbed on top of it.

“Well your bed is unmade, there is another makeshift bed on the ground, and you left the tray outside of your door,” Pema pointed out. “It’s not the first time you two have had a sleepover. I know the signs.”

“Right,” Korra said slowly. “Yes, she was here. She’s taking a shower.” She rubbed the back of her neck

“Oh, well, breakfast is ready.” Pema then smiled slyly. “And next time, if you want to sneak food back here, don’t leave the evidence outside of the door. I don’t want Tenzin to know I’ve been allowing your midnight snacks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Korra said as she laughed nervously. Pema regarded her with a raised eyebrow before a squeaking sound caught her attention.

“Rohan, get down from there,” Pema ordered gently as she crossed the room. “We don’t jump on the bed, remember?” Korra winced every time the little boy bounced off of the mattress. It dipped a bit low in the middle and the avatar was sure that Kuvira was inches away from being stepped on. Pema scooped him up and placed him on the ground.

Korra ruffled Rohan’s hair as he ran past and out the door. Once Pema left the room, she slid the bedroom door closed and leaned against it, letting out a huge sigh of relief. “That was a close one,” she commented as Kuvira slowly pulled herself out from under the bed.

“That kid almost broke my spine,” she said with a deadpan. “He’s stronger than he should be for someone his age.”

“Master Katara thinks he’ll be a bender just like their other children,” Korra answered with a soft smile.

“Will they barge in here too?” Kuvira looked down at bed with a look of discomfort. The Avatar bit back a laugh.

“Normally they do, but seeing as Pema is up I’m sure they’ve been wrestled into the kitchen at this point.”

“I’m sorry,” Kuvira said as she sat on the bed once more. She brushed at the dust on the clothing.

“For what?” Korra asked. She crossed the room before sitting opposite of Kuvira. Their knees touched lightly. Kuvira instantly backed away, giving her space before sitting up as straight as possible. She brushed her bangs out of her face and looked Korra straight in the eye.

‘For causing you great stress for being here, and for snapping at you earlier about you being cautious,” she answered. “You’re going through great lengths to help me and I shouldn’t be pushing against it.” Kuvira lowered her head and traced the pattern of threading on the bed spread. “I’m not much of a morning person,” she admitted quietly, “especially when someone else wakes me up.”

“See, we do have things in common,” Korra said with a small laugh. “I don’t like mornings either. My morning usually starts around 2pm.” She frowned when she noticed Kuvira wince after taking a breath. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better, thank you,” Kuvira answered.

Korra nodded once before reaching a hand up. Kuvira flinched before she felt the Avatar’s light touch on her cheek. She was poking at the faint bruising at the top of her cheek bone that extended up and around her eye. 

“Your eye looks like it’s healing well,” Korra muttered. She trailed her thumb over the fading bruise. She pressed on it lightly, to check for any swelling or cracks in the bone of her eye socket. She then grabbed a hold of Kuvira’s chin and tilted her head from side to side. “Just checking for signs of a concussion or something else, but all seems normal,” she explained. Kuvira stared back at Korra but remained silent. “Your lip looks to be healing perfectly as well.” Korra smiled softly, her blue eyes shining in the sunlight that seeped through a small crack in the curtains. “Will you lift up your shirt for me?”

Kuvira nodded before rolling up the bottom of the blue tank top up to the bottom of her bosom. Her pale skin was spotted with healing bruises in various places, the biggest mark being on her left side. It was darker than the other bruises but did look like it was healing. Korra lightly placed her hand on Kuvira’s side. She slowly moved her hand towards her flank, where the brusing look to wrap around her side, before Kuvira flinched and moved away, while her skin broke out in goose bumps. Korra looked up and noticed that Kuvira had turned away, and was biting her lower lip. A very faint coloring of pink was splattered on the top of her cheek bones. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to tickle you,” Korra said with amusement.

“You didn’t,” Kuvira quickly denied. She cleared her throat twice. “Your hands are just ice cold, and that area is still a bit sore.”

“Does it hurt when you breathe?” Korra motioned for her to roll her shirt back down. “You were coughing a bit when you got here.”

“A little bit.”

“You may have a partially collapsed lung.” Korra tapped her chin. “There’s someone I know who could help. The trouble is finding her and getting her here. She tends to move from place to place.”

“No,” Kuvira said harshly. “No one else can know I’m here.”

“I know,” Korra answered gently, “but this woman would be the last person to judge someone. I’m sure, even though it is you, she will be helpful.” Kuvira eyed Korra closely. She didn’t sense that the girl was lying, and from past encounters, she knew that the Avatar tends to have her heart on her sleeve. 

“How did you end up like that?” Korra asked quietly. “With all of your bruising and injuries?”

Kuvira shifted on the bed, looking uncomfortable. “When I had first arrived in jail, I wasn’t put in solitary confinement,” she explained. “I was in a holding area with other inmates. Some knew how to chi block so they performed it on me and jumped me. They called me a monster and a traitor to the well being of the Earth Kingdom. I couldn’t fight them off.”

“Didn’t the police help you?”

“No,” Kuvira scoffed, “they didn’t try to stop it. After what seemed like hours I was just lying there on the ground, and then my bending came back. I could feel the shift. The police only came in and intervened when I broke down the metal bars to the jail cell and attacked everyone with it.”

“So, that was when they moved you?” Korra questioned.

“No.” Kuvira shook her head slowly. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. That was when Korra really took note of her. She looked exhausted, and her past physical build didn’t look as muscular as it used to. “They didn’t move me until a few weeks later. They at first moved me to a wooden cell, and I was jumped again.”

“They should have medical staff on hand to heal you and the other inmates,” she said. “Even if you were arrested you should received free medical care. Heck, it wouldn’t surprise me if some people got arrested on purpose just to receive it.”

“They do and they did,” Kuvira answered. “They have healers on hand and they healed me up and sent me to solitary confinement. I was only allowed to leave for an hour a day and it was to step outside and get some fresh air.” She reached up and moved the curtains away from the window, only enough so that she could peer out. Kuvira wilted a bit when she saw the clear blue sky. “The other inmates got smart. They started to jump me on a rotational basis. Only leaving bruises and injuries where it could easily be hidden.”

“So how did you end up with those?” Korra motioned towards her with a nod of her head.

“It was a few days before the electric problem and my escape.” Kuvira let go of the curtain and watched as it sung back into place. “Up until that point, I would be evaluated for my health every week, just like everyone else and I would be healed. So that was the rotation: I’d be beaten up one week, healed the next, and then beaten up again. Over and over.” She coughed harshly. “Except this time, I wasn’t healed. The healers were called to the hospital in the city for some reason. I was attacked like usual but it was worse because I still wasn’t healed from the last time. There was no way I could have fought back even if they didn’t chi-block me. I was just too weak.”

Before either of them could say anything else, there was a sharp knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Korra called out.

“Chief Beifong,” came a harsh reply. “We are searching the entire premises. Kuvira has escaped from jail, and we believe she has taken up refuge here.”

Korra swallowed slowly as Kuvira looked at her. The expression on her face had said it all. The Avatar had only seen it once before: when she was trying to get the Earth Kingdom native to turn off the Spirit Ray and found that it had malfunctioned. It was the same look she had when she was staring straight into the barrel of the gun, before Korra was able to bend the spirit energy away from them.

Kuvira was scared.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do we do now?" Kuvira mouthed. Korra looked over at the door way, taking note of Chief Beifong's shadow. She seemed impatient, judging by the way her right foot's shadow was moving up and down. "She knows seismic sense," she added once Korra looked back at her. "I can't hide in here."

"Out the window," Korra mouthed back. "You said you can hold your breath for a long time." She jumped off of the bed and pushed the curtains open. Kuvira hissed as the sunlight lit up the room. She covered her eyes and walked over. "Hide in the water."

"I never really tested it with a timer or anything." Korra pushed the window open. She poked her head out and looked from one side to the other before leaning back into the room.

"Well, we're going to have to take that risk. Go." Kuvira quickly slipped out of the window and onto the cool ground. She flinched when her feet touched the cold grass. Korra watched as Kuvira crouched down low and made her way from the back of the temple towards the edge of Air Temple Island. She looked around one more time as she reached the edge, before diving into the murky water. Korra grabbed the bedding off of the floor and stuffed it in the armoir before moving back towards the window. "Come in," Korra called out.

Chief Lin Beifong slid the door open and rolled her eyes when she saw Korra standing by the window. "You had me waiting outside just so you could greet the morning?" she barked. "This is official police business. How about helping me instead of being a burden…like usual?"

Korra raised an eyebrow. "Well, last time I wanted to help the police you almost had me arrested," she pointed out.

"For destroying four buildings," Lin reminded her.

The Avatar opened her mouth to respond but quickly clamped it shut. She chewed on her bottom lip before sighing slowly. "You won't let that go, will you?"

"I don't have time for this," she snapped. She nodded to her fellow officers. "Search the place," she commanded.

"Why? You have seismic sense."

"Wood," Lin answered simply. "It is one of the few things that can stop an earthbender." She looked closely at Korra. The dark skinned girl forced herself not to reach up and wipe at the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Have you heard anything or seen anything suspicious around here?"

"Nope. There would have been a ruckus by now," Korra said with a slight laugh. She quickly sobered up as someone else entered the room. She relaxed a bit as Mako stepped inside the door, peering closely around the room.

"Mako, what are you doing here?" Korra asked. "I thought you'd be in Ba Sing Se with Prince Wu."

"I'm the detective on this case," he said. She noticed him slightly puffing up his chest. Korra smiled warmly at him. She knew he was very proud that he was being useful to the police department, not only as the lone firebender in a sea of earth and metal benders but as respected detective as well. "Prince Wu-"

"King Wu," Lin corrected, "at least for the time being."

" _King_ Wu is doing business safely in the Earth Kingdom being looked after by Bolin and the rest of the Beifong family," Mako explained in his "detective" voice. He spoke firmly and calmly, and dropped his voice a few pitches lower.

"I need the best and he's proved that to me any times," Lin complimented. Mako continued to hold his stoic expression, but couldn't help but smile to himself once the chief turned away from him.

"Right." Korra nodded. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall as the members of the police force continued to look around her small room. She looked out at the water with her peripheral vision. The surface was still. "So why do you all think Kuvira would be here on Air Temple Island?"

"It is one of the closest places to the city," Lin explained. "With it being surrounded by water she'd easily be able to hide her footsteps. She may even be on a boat to the Northern or Southern Water Tribes by now."

"Well, clearly she's not here," Korra pointed out.

Lin shot her a harsh look. "We're searching a lot of other places," she snapped. Korra raised her hands up as if to defend herself. The two sat in silence as the members of the police force finished searching the small room. There wasn't many places to look as it was, since the only things in the room were a bad, a desk, and a giant armoire.

"Nothing here," one of them commented.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," another added.

Lin nodded once. "Let's move out then," she ordered.

"I'll see you later, Korra?" Mako asked as he headed towards the door.

"Yeah. I have some business in the city, but Asami and I were thinking of grabbing some lunch later today. Why don't you join us?" she suggested. Mako smiled and gave her a wave as he stepped out of the room. The two members of the police force filed out after him. Lin brought up the rear. She stopped at the door and turned to look at Korra.

"Avatar, if anything comes up, I expect you to report it to me immediately," she insisted.

"Yes, Chief Crankypants," Korra said while saluting her. She struggled to keep back a smile. Lin looked at her for a second before scowling and rolling her eyes. Korra fully smiled when she caught a glimpse of the corner of Lin's lips twitched as she turned away.

Once the door closed, Korra quickly climbed through the window and made her way to the water's edge. She bent down and peered into the murky water, trying to see if she could spot the fugitive. After a few seconds, she stood up and began to wave her arms around in a figure eight pattern. She water bent a large ball of water up into the air before lowering it above the banks of the island. She then placed it onto the ground and move her arms in a sharp movement, causing the ball of water to break open.

Kuvira drew in a big breath of air before coughing. She brushed her dripping hair out of her face before turning to face Korra. "What happened?"

"Apparently Lin is searching the island and Republic City." Korra waved her arms around and blew a small gust of wind at Kuvira to dry her off. "They think you may be heading towards the Southern or the Northern Water Tribes."

"Not possible," Kuvira answered with a click of her tongue. She closed her eyes when she felt some dirt starting to pelt her skin. "An earthbender wouldn't be able to survive out there for too long." After a brief pause she asked quietly, "she didn't detect me nearby?"

"No, the temple is made out of wood," Korra said. "She can't use seismic sense on it. I think she also knew I was lying."

"What?" Kuvira tried to open her eyes to glare at her but Korra quickly picked up the speed of her airbending, forcing her to shut them again. "I may as well head out now because you're terrible at lying."

"I think she suspected I was," Korra said calmly, "but she didn't say anything. I don't think Toph ever taught her how to detect lying. It would make sense because Suyin used-"

"Aiwei. I remember." Once the wind died down, Kuvira opened her eyes again. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Korra looked at her with regret. "Mako is a detective in the case," she announced.

"Who?"

"Mako, my friend," she answered. "He's a firebender and a lightningbender. He is working on your case."

"I guess I'll leave then." Kuvira got to her feet and started to walk towards the water's edge.

Korra grabbed her by her wrist. "Where will you go?"

"I don't know, but if he's a good detective and your," Kuvira paused as she tried to think of the right word, "…friend," she said as if she had never used the term before, "…then he'll put two and two together pretty quickly."

"That's not necessarily true," Korra said with a small smile.

"What makes you think that?"

Before Korra could answer, she heard someone calling out her name. She motioned for Kuvira to go and hide behind a nearby bush before walking back up towards the temple. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Asami standing at her bedroom window.

"Morning," Asami said softly. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh." Korra's eyes widened. "I was…meditating," she said slowly. She silently searched Asami's face to gauge her reaction. She felt her pulse quicken when the engineer donned a confused look.

"Don't you normally meditate in the front of the temple?" she asked.

"I needed a change of scenery." Korra motioned for her to stand back. She slipped through the window and landed heavily on the floor. "Why are you here? I thought we were going to meet up for lunch later?" she asked quickly. "You know, after my meetings and your meetings…in the city."

"I came to talk to Tenzin," Asami explained with a shrug. "I may need his help in, once again, convincing President Raiko to keep the Spirit Vines as we work to expand the city." She rolled her eyes. "Pema invited me to stay for breakfast."

"Right." Korra noded. "Then let's go," she said cheerfully while grabbing Asami by the shoulders and pushing her toward the door. She looked back through the window and caught Kuvira's eye. "Wait a bit and then come back in. I'll bring you some food."

"You and your metabolism," Asami giggled. Korra shrugged sheepishly. The two walked silently towards the dining room. Tenzin was seated at the head of the table, glaring at Bumi who was going on and on about a war story to Ikki and Meelo. Jinora was seated near the end of the table, talking quietly to Kai. Asami nudged Korra in the arm and pointed out that they were holding hands underneath the table.

"I hope you're hungry," Pema said cheerfully as the two walked into the room. She placed Rohan down next to her before handing him his small cup. "How was your shower, Asami? The water pressure has been on the fritz lately."

"My shower?" Asami repeated.

"Yes, you're shower." Korra nodded rapidly. Asami turned to look at her as the two sat down at the table. "The one you took this morning after staying the night," she said slowly.

"Of course." She smiled over at Pema before turning back to Korra. She leaned down a bit so that she was talking directly into her ear. "Why does she think I stayed the night?" she whispered.

Korra picked up a fork and started to tap it on the table. "Because I snuck some food back to my room last night and I left the tray outside the door and she found it before Tenzin did and she noticed the bedding on the floor of my room," she said in one breath.

"Why was it on the floor?"

"I..." Korra's eyebrows rose as she thought about the question. The tapping on the table intensified. "Well…because I wasn't used to such a firm mattress. You know, after our vacation and sleeping on the ground."

"Our vacation was a few months ago-"

"Look, food!" Korra cheered as a few Air Acolytes entered the room with steaming hot plates. "It smells delicious, Pema," she added.

Asami watched her closely throughout breakfast.

\---

After breakfast, Korra made a run for it. She had slipped pieces of food off of her plate into napkins before stuffing them into her pockets. She would keep asking for more and more helpings, which wasn't out of the ordinary since everyone knew that Korra could pack away the food.

She excused herself once a majority of the people had left the table. Pema was finally eating her breakfast after helping Rohan eat and Asami was talking to Pema. Korra gave her a wave before exiting the room. She ran all of the way back to her room before pausing out of the doorway. While catching her breath, she knocked twice, paused, and the knocked once more before stepping into the room. She muffled a cry as she stubbed her toe against the armoire.

"Wasn't that over there?" Korra muttered.

"It was, but I moved it," Kuvira answered from the bed. She was sitting cross legged, propping up her chin in her palm, her elbow resting on her knee. She looked at Korra expectantly as she pulled the food out of her pockets.

"You moved this stuff?" Korra asked. She limped over to the bed, now on the opposite wall where the armoir used to be, and handed Kuvira the bundles of food. She sat down and inspected her toes. "How loud was it?"

"Don't worry," Kuvira said while receiving the food. "I picked them up. I needed to gain my muscle back. Besides, I was bored." She picked at the pieces of food wrapped in the napkins and held them up to her face, scouring each inch.

"It's not like this is a vacation." Korra hit her lightly on the thigh. She glared at Kuvira and motioned for her to eat the food. Kuvira shrugged once before taking a small nibble out of the dumpling she had in her hand. She frowned when the bits of meatless dough and vegetables hit her tongue.

"You don't think I know that?" Kuvira asked around a mouthful of food. "I'm stuck in this small room and I can't leave or else I risk going back." She crumbled up a napkin in her fist. "It's like jail all over again," she admitted quietly.

"But _this_ jail is more enjoyable since you have a friend here risking her neck to feed you and to come up with really dumb lies," Korra added.

"I think you mean bad lies," Kuvira corrected. "Plus, I wouldn't call us friends."

"Would you rather call me, the most amazingly awesome Avatar in the world?" Korra questioned with a wide smile.

Kuvira glared at her before stuffing another dumpling into her mouth. Korra laughed into her palm, trying not to bring any attention to their room. She pointed at Kuvira's face before slapping her hand onto her thigh. It was hard not to laugh, when someone who used to be so intimidating had her cheeks puffed up like a raccoon-squirrel storing some nuts. After a few seconds, Kuvira couldn't help but snicker herself. She continued to nibble on her food as Korra calmed herself down. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Korra questioned when she noticed the look on Kuvira's face. "Tell me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kuvira shook her head. "It's just…" she looked down at the floor. "Aside from Su-" Kuvira swallowed hard. "I've never had anyone do something so nice for me without wanting anything in return," she said softly.

Korra reached over and placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. "I don't know how deeply your abandonment has affected you, and you don't have to tell me anything, but there are some good people left out there in the world than you realize." Korra smiled softly, her blue eyes shining b rightly.

Kuvira hummed a response. She shrugged Korra's hand off of her shoulder.

"Check that out," Korra whispered. Kuvira looked up at her in confusion. The Avatar nodded over to the window. Kuvira turned and followed her gaze. The sun had raised high into the sky, peaking over Republic City's skyline, reflecting off of the glass, adding a glittery look to the city. "I think that is a sign of your new life."


	6. Chapter 6

Korra chewed her bottom lip as she paced around her small room. Kuvira was seated on the bed, following the Avatar with her eyes. She coughed harshly before wincing. "If I could wood bend, I would open up the floor and trap you underneath it," she snapped.

The Avatar rolled her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair and frowned. "I'm going to let that slide since I'm putting my neck on the line for you

"Right," she answered quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm just going crazy in here, and I've only been trapped for a few days"

"I know, that's understandable." Korra sat down opposite of her on the bed. She reached out and gently rubbed Kuvira's knee.

"How would you know the feeling?"

Korra sighed before rubbing the back of her neck. "When I was poisoned I couldn't do anything on my own for months," she explained. Kuvira placed a hand over her chest and cringed while taking another breath. "I just wanted to be able to do something by myself. Something as simple as going to the bathroom, but I couldn't."

"I couldn't go to the bathroom by myself," Kuvira answered. "In fact, I couldn't do anything by myself and I still can't." She sighed.

"Yes, but did you have to have someone physically move you from a wheelchair to…" Korra paused before biting her lip. "Are we really doing this? Trying to one up each other with who had it worse?" she chuckled. "Everything really is a fight with you."

"It's just this room." Kuvira looked at the wooden walls. Her breathing started to quicken. "These walls. This cube. It's just like jail," she gasped. "I'm in a jail away from jail."

"Kuvira?" Korra asked as the other girl hunched over. She jumped up and moved to her side. She started to rub small circles on her back. "Just breathe."

"I need to get out," she rasped. Korra jumped when Kuvira suddenly lifted her head. She grabbed the earthbender by the shoulders as she moved to get out of the bed. "I want to get out. I have to get out." Her voice started to get louder.

"Kuvira, you could do more damage to your lungs," the Avatar pleaded. "You can get through this." She winced as Kuvira fought against her. "It's not the place that is bothering you; it's the thought." Korra placed a hand on Kuvira's face before pressing her forehead against hers. "Breathe with me. In and out."

Kuvira's labored breathing slowed as she looked straight at Korra. She followed her instruction and began to inhale slowly. Korra would count to ten before exhaling slowly out her mouth.

A loud knock came on the door. Kuvira's eyes widened as she flinched. Korra placed a finger to her mouth before walking over to the bedroom door. "Who is it?" she hissed.

"It's me," a gentle voice responded. "You called me a few days ago and asked that –"

Korra opened the bedroom door, grabbed Kya's arm, and tugged her into the room. She peered down the hallway before closing the door, resting her back up against it. "Did anyone see you?"

"No. I know my way around this temple. I can easily get in and get out," Kya said with a smirk. She then shifted her focus over to Kuvira, who was still following Korra's previous instruction to breathe in between counts of ten. "Is this my patient?" Kuvira looked wearily over at Korra. "Don't worry, I'm a healer."

"You're willingly doing this?" Kuvira wheezed.

"I never turn people away when they need help," Kya sad gently as she walked over. She dropped to her knees beside the bed before placing her hand on Kuvira's chest. "Sorry, I just came from the south," she said once Kuvira jumped at the cool touch. "Hang on."

Kya opened a water skein before waving her arms in the air, bending the water it. It instantly began to glow a bright blue. Korra watched from her spot by the door as Kya worked the glowing water straight into Kuvira's chest. She winced as the earthbender grunted loudly in pain. Her forehead began to bead with sweat. "Stop," she pleaded.

"I'm almost done," Kya said. "Just hang on a bit more." Kuvira whimpered before clutching the bed sheets tightly in her fists. Her fingers turned white from the pressure. As the seconds passed her breathing evened and she started to relax. Korra walked over and wiped Kuvira's forehead free of sweat with her wrist. "There you go."

"Thank you," Kuvira whispered while taking in a deep breath. "It no longer feels like I have a ten pound rock on my chest."

"You're welcome," Kya answered with a smile. She waterbent the stream of water back into the skein before twisting the lid back on. "I suggest you take it easy for the next few days, though."

"That means you can't move my furniture around anymore," Korra said with a small laugh. "It's becoming that much harder to walk." She turned toward Kya and gave her a nod. "Thank you, for coming."

"Anytime, Korra." Kya reached out and brushed some of the Avatar's brown hair out of her face. She then cupped her cheek before pulling her into a hug.

"Wait," Kuvira demanded. "Why are you willingly helping me?"

"I told you." Korra pulled away from the embrace before placing a hand on the water master's shoulder. "Kya isn't a judgmental person."

"Didn't you hear about the things I did?"

"Of course." Kya nodded. "But through it all, you were really trying to help people. You're ways just came across unorthodox."

"So, you aren't going to turn me in?"

"No." Kya looked at Korra with a smile. "I believe that the Avatar know what she's doing in keeping you out of jail. I trust her judgment."

"What about Chief Beifong?" Kuvira questioned. "I've heard stories about her from Su. I'm sure she'll be scouring the entire city as many times as it takes to find me."

"I can handle Lin if the situation rises," Kya smirked. She crossed her arms over her chest before throwing each girl a wink. "She's just a puppy with a loud bark. Plus, I know firsthand about going above rules."

"Do you remember the plan?" Korra asked as Kya walked over to the door.

"If anyone asks I just dropped by for a visit to see my _lovely_ brothers," Kya answered with a laugh. She gave the two a short wave before slipping out of the room.

Korra sat down on the end of the bed and looked closely at Kuvira. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Kuvira sighed. "I think I'll finally be able to sleep through the night." She ran a hand through her hair before leaning back on the bed. She relaxed on top of the mattress and felt the softness molding her to body shape.

"You're definitely overdue," Korra commented. She bit her lip when she heard the soft snores emitting from Kuvira's nose. She slid off of the bed and moved the sheets out from under the earth bender before covering her up. "Sleep tight, Kuvira."

\---

Korra stirred as she heard the sound of sheets ruffling. She jumped when a bright flash lit up the room before a roll of thunder filled the silence The repetition of the sound caused her to fully wake up. A soft cry filled her ears.

The Avatar climbed out of her make shift bed before scurrying over to the bed. Kuvira's dark hair had unraveled from her braid and was splayed out on the pillow. She moved uneasily, muttering something, and before wincing and shaking her head from the left to the right. Her legs jerked convulsively under the sheets and then stretched out again.

Korra took the earthbender by the shoulders and started to shake her. "Kuvira," she whispered. She paused when Kuvira whimpered out a soft "No." Her hands blindly grabbed onto the sheets and tugged. Her jaw clenched and she twitched as if she were just shocked. More lightning flashed outside of the room.

"Kuvira, wake up." Korra saw red as pain erupted in her nose. She forced herself not to cry out as she took a few steps back. Kuvira's eyes snapped opened. She gasped loudly as sweat started to drip down her skin. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, before dropping her arm and turning to see Korra hunched over, holding her nose with two fingers. She flopped back onto the bed, breathing hard, and looking at the Avatar in confusion.

"No wonder people are afraid of you. You have a mean right hook," Korra commented through a painful smile. "You were having a nightmare."

"Oh," she answered in a small voice. Lightning flashed outside of the window. Kuvira gasped before grabbing a pillow and covering her face with it. Korra was at her side in an instant. She poked the tip of her nose carefully before sliding the pillow away from Kuvira's face. "I don't like lightning."

"Before or after jail?" Korra questioned.

"…After," came a quiet response. "I don't want to talk about it. Sorry I woke you up."

"It's no problem."

Kuvira flinched as a roll of thunder crashed above. Korra rubbed her shoulder before climbing over her onto the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows and placed it up against the adjacent wall. She leaned back against it before closing her eyes and pressing her fists together. "I'll just sit right here and meditate. You try and go back to sleep."

Before she could focus, Korra heard the door open. Kuvira buried herself deeper underneath the sheets as the Avatar jumped to her feet.

"No," Korra gasped as Rohan slipped into the room. He yawned and rubbed his eyes while walking over to the bed, a stuffed baby lemur gripped tightly in his hand. "What are you doing here?" she asked while picking him up. Kuvira sat up as Korra returned to her seat on the bed. She shifted backwards until she felt the pillow on her back.

"KoKo," he muttered while nuzzling closer to her. "Outside scary."

"So why didn't you go to your parents?" she whispered while rubbing his back.

"KoKo warm."

"Koko?" Kuvira repeated with a snicker. Korra rolled her eyes before kicking her lightly in the knee.

"Be quiet, Kuvira," she said with a laugh. Rohan lifted his head out of Korra's chest and turned to look at the earthbender. He reached out a small hand and placed it onto Kuvira's cheek. She looked at him in confusion before shifting her gaze to the Avatar, who shrugged her shoulders in response. Rohan then lightly tapped a finger against the birth mark on her cheek.

"KuKu?" he asked. Korra snorted before covering a hand over her mouth. Kuvira glared at her and pursed her lips. Rohan stood up on the bed and held Kuvira''s face with both of his hands. Her eyes widened as she watched him scour every inch of her face. She flinched as a flash of lightning raced across the sky. Rohan then picked up his stuffed lemur before holding it out to her. "So the night not so scary," he declared.

Kuvira looked at the old toy in her hand. She traced a finger around one of the plastic eyes. Rohan leaned down into her field of vision and stared up at her with his big brown eyes. "KuKu like?" he asked.

She half-smiled before ruffling his hair. "Yes, I like," she said sincerely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, though, the more i write this story the more I am loving Kuvira. She is slowly but steadily becoming my favorite character in LOK. In case you all haven't heard this podcast yet (https://nerdist.com/the-jv-club-148-zelda-williams/), then please go and listen to it. It is the JV Club podcast run by Janet Varney, the voice of Korra. In this episode, her guest is Zelda Williams, the voice of Kuvira. After listening to this, I can totally see Korra and Kuvira being best friends in an alternate universe. 
> 
> https://nerdist.com/the-jv-club-148-zelda-williams/
> 
> If you would like to read Last Airbender/Legend of Korra headcanons, essays, commentary, and numerous other things, then please head on over to my tumblr and then click the Avatar/Legend of Korra link on the left. :) Or if you want to message me or ask em questions or something, then you can go to my blog to do that as well. :)
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	7. Chapter 7

Korra yawned and rubbed the back of her neck to get rid of the sudden flare of pain. Sleeping on the floor was starting to take a toll on her body, but she couldn’t as Kuvira to switch where they slept. She wouldn’t. Korra may not know what it is like sleeping in jail cell, but she knows what a decent bed feels like and as long as Kuvira stays, she’s going to let her feel as comfortable as she can, even if she was trapped in a room.

“Morning, Korra,” Tenzin greeted her as she stepping into the dining area. She responded with a grunt and a nod of her head. The sleep instantly left her body when she the scents of the food filled her nose. Korra quickly took her seat and received a plate from Pema. “You look beat.”

“Yeah, the thunderstorm kept me up,” she muttered before shoveling some noodles into her mouth.

“I’m sorry about Rohan,” Pema apologized. She leaned over the table and wiped the sauce from around his lips. He whined and struggled against her. “I didn’t think he would bother you. Normally he comes to me.”

“It is no problem, Pema. I didn’t even notice when he left.” Korra smiled at the young child. “But he’s a brave little man for going back to his room by himself. Braver than me at that age.”

“Didn’t you find out you were the Avatar around his age?” Ikki asked.

“Eat your food,” she instructed.

Once he was finally able to pull away he looked over at Korra, who took a big gulp of tea from her cup. “Where Kuku?” Rohan asked. Korra choked on her mouthful of tea. She wiped off the bit of tea that had dribbled down her chin. 

“Who’s coo-coo?” Jinorah asked.

“Me,” Korra answered.

“No, you’re KoKo,” Ikki said. “And I’m Eek, and Jinorah’s JinJin, and Meelo is MeMe

“I hate that name,” he grumbled from the other side of the table. Pema giggled into her hand before ruffling some of his hair. He looked at her with wide eyes before brushing his hair back to the way it was previously.

“Yes, that is true,” she agreed “but I can be crazy. You all know that. It’s just a new nickname I’m trying out.” She shrugged. Jinroa looked at her with a raised eyebrow while Tenzin just stared. “Clearly it isn’t a good one,” she added.

“So what are your plans for today, Korra?” Pema asked.

“I’m meeting up with Mako and Asami in the city,” she answered excitedly. “I owe it to them since I kind of blew them off last time,” she added.

“You have become a bit of a homebody recently. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine, Pema,” she said with a shrug. “I was just working on new meditation techniques.” Tenzin’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah, it’s where you completely isolate yourself from others and sunlight.”

“That sounds weird,” he commented. “I’ve never heard of a meditation technique like that. What is it called?”

Korra stared back at him for a few moments. “Oh, I don’t remember the name.” She lowered her head so that her dark hair would hide her reddening cheeks.

“I’m glad you’re taking your studies seriously,” Tenzin commented. “It really shows your growth and maturity, not just as the Avatar.”

“Thank you,” she smiled brightly. “I’m going to head out. Have a great day everyone.” She picked up her dishes and took them into the kitchen before heading back to her room. She knocked twice, paused, and then knocked a third time, before sliding the door open. She snickered and clasped a hand over her mouth as Kuvira turned to look at her.

The earthbender was dressed in red and gold robes. She was laying dowon vertically on the bed with her head dangling off the side and her feet propped up against the wall. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to die from lack of circulation to the rest of your body or doing sit-ups.”

“I was doing sit-ups,” Kuvira answered with a glare. “Are you laughing because of how I look or that I’m in these robes?”

“Definitely the robes,” Korra said. She ducked as Kuvira tossed a pillow in her direction.

“I don’t see what’s so amusing,” she muttered before placing her hands behind her head. She grunted while lifted her upper body. “You wear fur in eighty-degree weather as if you’re some big socialite you can afford it.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?” she snapped.

“Be ‘The Great Uniter’,” Korra answered while making air quotes. Kuvira sat up and pulled her feet off of the wall. She stormed over and grabbed Korra by the collar of her shirt.

“Don’t ever call me that, again,” she growled.

“Relxa.” Korra grabbed Kuvira’s wrists and pulled them off of her shirt. “I meant, you don’t have to hide your vulnerability. I’ve seen it a few times now. There’s nothing wrong with being soft.”

“Hn.” Kuvira collapsed onto the bed. She glared down at the piece of red cloth on her shoulders. She brushed it away before rolling her eyes and it fell back in place.

“I’m heading out.” Korra grabbed her glider fro next to the door. “You know the knock and what to do if you hear anything else. I’ll be back soon.”

“Try and get me some new clothes,” Kuvira ordered.

“You’re not calling the shots here,” she said. “Things will be easier if you get rid of your desire for power over your life and others and just act normally.”

“Because being trapped in a room is normal.”

“Would you rather it be a jail cell?”

Kuvira bit the inside of her cheek. “Touché.” 

\---

“Have you noticed Korra acting strange lately?” Mako asked. He slowly lowered himself to the ground next to Asami. They were sitting outside of a library on the stairs. Her nose was buried deep into an engineering book she just checked out.

“No, because I haven’t seen her in the past two weeks,” Asami said without looking up from her book. “I’ve been busy with reconstruction. Plus, I’m sure she’s busy with Avatar things.”

“Yes, but normally she’s trying to get out of her busy schedule,” he pointed out.

Asami looked up from the bootk with a start. “You have a good point,” she agreed.

“There’s something else,” Mako said slowly. Asami marked her page before looking over at him. “When it was announced that Kuvira had escaped, Chief Beifong asked me to accompany her to the be the detective for the case/”

“That’s not weird,” she laughed. “You’re a great detective. You found out that Varrick was behind the thefts and bombings a few years ago. You kept working on it when no one believed you.”

“That’s not it, but thank you.” Mako cupped his chin. “When I went to search Air Temple Island with the Chief, she was kind of jumpy, plus she didn’t object when Lin wanted to search the room or ask her questions about the whole issue.”

“So?” Asami asked.

“Since when has Korra actually sit back and allow for things to happen out of her control?” Mako questioned.

“True.” Asami nodded.

“My ears are burning,” Korra announced as she hopped off of her glider near them. She closed the wings at the top and the bottom of the glider before resting it onto her shoulder. She winced when she heard a soft cry of pain from behind her. “Sorry, sir,” she apologized when she noticed a grumpy man glare at her while rubbing the back of his head. “Asami, is there any chance you can make a compact version of this? Sometimes I get tired of lugging it around.”

“Sure.” Asmai brushed off the back of her pants as she got to her feet. “You’ll have to start carrying a purse though.”

“Nevermind,” Korra said quickly. “So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked excitedly. “It’s great to finally have a day free of meetings.”

“Asami and I were just talking about this whole Kuvira issue-” Mako started.

“What about it?” she demanded.

“That she’s disappeared into the night without a trace,” he answered. “It’s giving people worry. There’s talk around the police station that we may have a curfew set up soon just to find her.”

“She deserves to be in jail after what she’s done,” Asami growled. “She’s had us all fooled. Why give up and surrender but then escape from prison?” she scoffed.

“Would you like to have your humanity taken away by a mistake?” Korra questioned.

“So killing my father was a mistake?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Ladies,” Mako said with a cough. The two looked over at him. “We were supposed to enjoy today, remember?” he asked.

“Right,” Asami said with a nod. She took a deep breath before smiling over at Korra. She placed a hand on her shoulder before playfully pushing her. “It looks like I’m taking over Mako’s position. I’m the one arguing with you and not him.”

“Jealous, Mako?” Korra asked with a half smile.

“Yes, because I can’t live without fighting with you,” he said with an eye roll. “I only have an hour and a half on my break and I’m sure Asami is busy working as well. What do you two want to do?”

Asami shrugged before slipping her book underneath her arm. Korra eyed the shops before noticing a small thrift store. It carried various clothing in different colors. “Asami, let’s go shopping in that store,” she suggested while pointing it out.

“You want to go shopping?” Asami asked in surprise.

“I could use some new clothes,” Korra said while tilting her head to the side. She rubbed her arm and looked uncomfortable. “Ever since Zaheer…well, I know it’s been three years, but not all of my muscles have come back since I found that fighting isn’t the answer to everything.” She smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been putting this off for a while now.” _Who says I’m a bad liar? Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have taken the sympathy route, but it worked._

“Okay.” Asami nodded. Her eyes flicked down to Korra’s muscles before looking back up. “I’ll come too.”

“You don’t have to.” Korra quickly turned. Mako and Asami ducked as the glider swung in the air near their heads. She muttered a soft apology.

“Do you have enough money?” Mako asked.

Korra looked everywhere but at the two of them as she stuck a hand into her pocket. She pulled it out and a stray piece of the scrambled eggs she had for breakfast spilled out. “What are the chances that my title would work?” she asked sheepishly. 

“People don’t run these shops as a hobby,” Asami answered with a soft giggle. 

Mako looked at the name of the store before peering into the window. “I’ll wait for you out here,” he suggested with a light flush. Asami and Korra looked at him before peering into the window. It was then they noticed the story was aimed mainly for girls, especially because a stand by the windows held a mannequin that was showing off an underwear set. 

“Good idea.” Korra let out a soft sigh of relief before walking through the doorway. As soon as Asami stepped inside, she pulled Korra over to a rack in the corner of the store. “Did you really want to go shopping or did you just want to get away from for a few minutes?” she asked with a smile.

“A bit of both.” Korra slipped her hand into Asami’s and gave it a light squeeze. Asami smiled softly before pressing a light kiss to her cheek. Korra flushed before tugging her over to a pile of green clothes.

\---

Suyin smiled as she bit into a piece of fruit. She dabbed at the juice spilling down the corner of her mouth with a napkin before turning her attention to her husband next to her. Baatar Sr was hunched over a blueprint, shaking his head and making small marks on the paper with his pencil. After a few seconds he sighed in frustration before erasing the marks.

“Don’t worry, honey,” she said calmly. “I’m sure things will come together soon. You helped create the city before.”

“Yes, but with all of the metal that Kuvira took for her mecca tanks and the colossus, I’m working around items we’re either low on or don’t have.” He slowly rubbed his temples before tapping a finger on his chin in thought.

“You have a fantastic mind.” Suyin placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She gave it a light squeeze before leaning over and placing a light kiss to his cheek. “I know you will come up with something.” Suyin looked across the room at her son, Huan, was was hunched over a sketchbook. “Maybe Huan could help come up with structural designs.”

Huan grunted in response.

“Great idea, mom,” Wing said around a mouthful of eggs. “Have the artist help.”

“Our buildings will be structurally safe with spirals and corkscrews holding it up,” Wei added. He punched his twin brother before the two burst out laughing. Huan threw a spare pencil at the two of them, and quickly ducked his head when it hit Wing on the right side of his face.

“What was that for?” he shouted at Wei.

“I didn’t do anything,” Wei answered before punching him in the arm. The two started to spar each other. Opal rolled her eyes and smiled before continuing to eat her breakfast. Beside her, Baatar Jr, who decided to go by his namesake once more, just stared at his plate full of food.

The Beifong family looked up in surprise as the new captain of the metal clan and a few guards quickly entered the room. Suyin looked at them in surprise before gesturing over to the nearby food table, silently offering them some breakfast. “Suyin, you are needed urgently in Republic City.”

“Please don’t tell me my sister destroyed Air Temple Island again,’” she groaned.

“Aunt Lin destroyed Air Temple Island?” Opal asked.

“Avatar Korra mentioned it to me in passing.” She nodded. “Something about an air nomad taking an ex-boyfriend away from her.”

“Aunt Lin lost someone to another girl?” Opal’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s hard to imagine.”

“I know,” Suyin chuckled. “I never suspected Lin to ever find someone tough enough to date her.”

“Suyin, I’m afraid this cannot wait,” the captain interrupted. “Chief Lin Beifong has asked for your help.”

“What’s happened?” Suyin asked while reaching for her glass of juice. “It must be something big if my sister can’t handle her city.”

The captain’s right eye twitched. He looked at the few members of the Metal Clan behind him before nudging the closest one to his left with his elbow. The guard looked up at the captain, who in turn elbowed him harder. He winced in pain before stumbling forward as the captain placed a firm hand on his back and pushed. “K-Ku-Kuvira escaped from jail,” the guard stammered.

Suyin froze, her hand right in front of the glass. She pulled her hand into a fist before dropping it into her lap. Opal gasped. Wing and Wei stopped their sparring. Baatar Sr. dropped his pencil to the table. Baatar Jr. tensed in his chair. Huan broke the pencil in his hand in half. The six of them slowly turned towards their mother, waiting for reaction.

Suyin slowly got up out of her chair. She looked the captain in the eyes, making note that he didn’t shift his gaze or fidget under her sight. She took a deep breath before slamming her hand onto the table. “Damn,” she muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally moved the story outside of Korra’s room and Air Temple Island. I didn’t want you all to feel “trapped” there like Kuvira. I think i found the perfect balance of humor and angst among the other elements of this story. Please let me know what you all think.
> 
> If you would like to read Last Airbender/Legend of Korra headcanons, essays, commentary, and numerous other things, then please head on over to my tumblr and then click the Avatar/Legend of Korra link on the left. :) Or if you want to message me or ask me questions or something, then you can go to my blog to do that as well. :)
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	8. Chapter 8

Kuvira lifted her head as she heard the familiar triple knock on the door. Her dark hair was splayed out on the pillow behind her head. She let out a soft grunt of greeting as Korra slipped into the room. Her arms were filled with colorful bags.

"That's the last time I shop with Asami," she muttered before dropping the bags to the ground. "As much as I like her, that girl doesn't know when to stop."

"Are you annoyed that she bought a lot of stuff or that she made you carry it?" Kuvira asked. She had her left ankle resting on her right knee. She was tossing a pai sho tile up in the air and catching it in alternating hands.

"This is for you," Korra said. She picked up the bags and walked over to the bed. She laughed a bit as she looked at the red and gold robes on the earthbender. "Sorry, it's just so funny to see you in those clothes."

"I hate them," she said dryly.

"Don't worry. I hated them too." With that she took the bags and dumped them upside down on top of Kuvira's head. She rolled her eyes and growled softly before sitting up. She picked up each piece of clothing, scanning the green and silver material. "I don't know what your style actually is, so I pretty much got Asami to buy everything in our size."

"And she didn't say anything?" Kuvira asked. She held up the pieces of clothing in front of her before, one by one, folding them up and putting them into a neat stack.

"No, I told her that after wearing Earth Nation clothing for a few months I was interested in expanding my wardrobe. I think she now sees me as a shopping buddy," she groaned.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"All the waiting, and trying on clothesm and walking from one place to the other and….uggg." Korra flopped onto her back on the bed. She looked up at the ceiling before placing her hands lightly on her stomach. "I think I'll just stick with water tribe blue. She says it's a good color for me."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Kuvira muttered.

Korra rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow. "Her father is…was, Hiroshi Sato," she said in a whisper. "You kind of….un-lived him."

"Un-lived?" She repeated. She looked at the Avatar in confusion. Korra scratched the back of her head before nodding.

"You know, he's…the d-word."

"You're going to have to be more specific," Kuvira said with an eye roll. "There are a lot of 'd-words'…one of which doesn't really fit this conversation," she said, the corners of her lips twitching upwards. "Unless a Freudian slip pops up."

"You're disgusting."

"So, what's going on between you two?"

Korra's jaw dropped before she clamped it shut. She sat up before rubbing her arm. "We're friends," she said while looking at the ground. Her cheeks started to burn. Korra took a few calming breaths before rubbing the tips of her cheek bones. Kuvira watched, amused.

"Every time you mention her name you turn beat red. Let's not forget the time she stopped by here for breakfast." The earthbender went back to her task of folding clothes. She snapped a wrinkle out of a shirt by Korra's ear, causing the Avatar to jump. "Now, normally you're a bumbling fool who can't lie their way out of a simple conversation, but when she's around you basically multiply that times ten. For someone who is trying to keep it a secret, you're pretty obvious about it."

"I don't," Korra said with a shrug. "I don't know what we are. We've only been together for six months. We haven't really talked about it. Things are going kind of slow since we don't see much of each other because of work and meetings and this. We've only really held hands and….why am I telling you this?"

"Because apparently you need to tell someone and I'm assuming it would normally be her," Kuvira commented airily.

Korra breathed sharply out of her nose. Kuvira regarded her for a few more seconds before shrugging and smoothing out the pile of clothes by her side. She reached into one of the last few bags and frowned when she pulled out a pai sho board. "I found that while we were shopping," Korra explained while taking the game out of her hands. She felt heat rushing up the back of her neck and rubbed it away. "Asami was going to teach me how to correctly play." She paused when she noticed Kuvira's half-smile. "Stop it" she instructed.

"Why did you buy it?

"To try and make your time in here as normal as possible," Korra answered before taking a seat on the floor. Kuvira slid off of the bed and sat down opposite of her. "I figured you'd be getting bored soon and the reading materials here aren't up your alley."

"Standard rules?" Kuvira asked.

Korra looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You know how to play?"

"A little bit. A friend taught me." She cleared her throat. "I'm not an expert or anything."

"Good, because I'm not good at this game either unless you count Bolin's version."

"We could always make this more interesting then," Kuvira offered. Korra paused and looked over at her. She rolled her eyes but couldn't but smile at the smirk she received.

"You know, you're more intimidating with your hair pulled back than when it's down," Korra commented as she took a seat on the ground opposite of her. Kuvira quickly brushed her long hair back behind her shoulders, keeping her bangs over her right eye. "Everything is always a competition with you."

"It keeps people on their toes," she grunted. Korra pulled the pai sho bored out of its carrying case before placing it on the ground in between them. She then opened a small draw string bag before dumping the tiles onto the center of the board. "Let's make a bet."

"Fine." Korra picked up a few tiles before moving them to the right starting positions. She tapped Kuvira on the knee before pointing to the board, signaling that she wanted help setting up the game. "If I win, you don't get to leave here until it is safe for you to do so and on my terms."

"I asked you to help me, in case you forgot," Kuvira moved a black tile over to her end of the board before crossing her arms over her chest. Korra frowned when she noticed that with the movement of the tile, her side of the board was set-up for game play.

"Help can come in various shapes and forms."

"True," she agreed. "For all you know, I could just stay here until I get my strength back and then disappear in the middle of the night."

"That is a possibility, but it's not the truth." Korra smiled. She placed the last of her tiles into position before leaning back and resting her weight on her arms.

"What makes you say that?" Kuvira's eyebrow twitched.

"If it were, you would have left by now," she pointed out. "Pema's food is good but if you're really like me you're craving some meat right now instead of resting on steamed dumplings and vegetables."

At that moment Korra's stomach growled, but it was quieted by the sound of Kuvira's stomach. The earthbender paused before lowering her head. Korra could have sworn she saw a light shade of pink starting to form on her cheeks, but the minute she blinked to double check it was gone. The Avatar threw her head back and laughed. "And I thought my stomach was loud."

"It's just the change in diet," Kuvira muttered. "Going from slop to something actually edible can affect anyone's stomach."

"Whatever you say," Korra said. She scanned the board before re-arranging a few tiles to their starting positions. She then picked up the play book and scanned it for a diagram of the board.

"I want to go outside."

"You know you can't."

"No, for our bet." Korra snapped her head up. Kuvira had turned to look out the window. A few weeks after being in the room, Korra concluded it was safe enough to keep the curtains open because not many people ventured around the back of the temple. The sunlight poured in and lit up the earthebdner's face, making her green eyes shine brighter than usual. "If I win I want to go outside. It can be at night or, I guess, in the early morning." Kuvira turned and looked back at the Avatar. "I need to feel dirt under my feet and underneath my nails. I need to be free even if it's just for a minute."

"Deal," Korra said before sticking her hand out. Kuvira nodded in response before taking a hold of her hand. Unlike her tough and abrasive nature, Korra noted that Kuvira's hand was very warm and very soft aside from a few calluses on the fingertips that scratched her wrist. "You can make the first move."

\---

Chief Lin Beifong scowled before drawing a large X over top Yue Bay on a map. She capped the marker before tossing it over her shoulder. She turned and glared at the other police officers sitting at the long desk in front of her. "We've checked all of Republic City and can't find her," she snarled. "Where could she be?"

Mako flinched as she slammed a hand onto the table. The metal bent underneath her hand and created a dent. He tapped a pencil on the top of his notebook but remained silent while looking at the other members of the police force. They all refused to look in her general direction. He cleared his throat before raising a hand.

"Yes, detective?" she asked.

He got to his feet before bowing in her direction. "Is there a possibility that she knows anyone in the city?" he suggested.

"She has lived in Zaofu for a majority of her life." Lin flipped through the pieces of paper in the manila folder on the table. "I don't think she has any relations to someone here."

"Well maybe she still has supporters? They could have stationed themselves in Republic City in the six months since her arrest, hoping to be of some comfort as her trial neared," Mako stated. "Or, keeping her in hiding in their place of residence."

"Captain Saikhan," Lin greeted him as he entered the room. Saikhan nodded in response to the greeting before holding out a piece of cloth to her. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow before receiving the cloth. It carried a little bit of weight to it. "What is in this?"

"Something of great importance," he explained as he unwrapped the cloth. Lin pulled back the last piece before gazing down at a pair of handcuffs. She gingerly placed them onto the table before turning her attention back to him. "They were found in the bay surrounding Air Temple Island," he explained.

"What?" Mako gasped.

"I need to talk to Avatar Korra," Lin concluded. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to need your help, detective." He nodded once before reclaiming his seat.

_Please, don't do anything stupid, Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to read Last Airbender/Legend of Korra headcanons, essays, commentary, and numerous other things, then please head on over to my tumblr and then click the Avatar/Legend of Korra link on the left. :) Or if you want to message me or ask me questions or something, then you can go to my blog to do that as well. :)
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	9. Chapter 9

“I don’t know why I’m surprised I lost,” Korra said bitterly. “I mean, I was playing with a very calculated Earth Nation leader.” She grabbed, more like snatched, the bag of tiles from Kuvira before stowing it away with the pai sho board.

“Normally, I’d take that as a compliment but in this case,” Kuvira trailed off. She brushed her long hair off of her shoulder. She had all but stopped wearing her hair in a long braid; however, Korra continued to brush the knots out for her every night. It had come to be a routine after their first night together. The task was always performed in silence, not that either of them had mind.

“Sorry,” Korra muttered.

“You don’t have to apologize. You shouldn’t have to.” Kuvira sighed. “You didn’t…you did the right thing trying to stop me.”

“But, some of your points were valid,” she admitted.

The earthbender scoffed. “I used to think so.”

“They were,” Korra insisted. She reached out and rubbed Kuvira’s knee. The earthbender looked down at the dark hand as if it were a foreign object. “If you just didn’t try to change things under false pretenses and violence, then things may have turned out different. The Earth Nation was in disarray. You were right. _Someone_ had to do something.”

The two froze when they heard a loud knocking on the door. Kuvira laid down on her back before rolling herself under the bed. Korra jumped to her feet before opening the door. _Shit._ She looked at Chief Lin Beifong before looking over her shoulder at the other members of the police force. Her eyes then locked on Mako. Her grip on her bedroom door tightened a bit.

“What’s up?” she asked casually.

Lin snapped her fingers and held her hand out. Saikhan stepped forward and slapped the handcuffs into her palm. The chief of police then held it out in between herself and the Avatar. Korra watched the metal swing back and forth. “Are those-?”

“They were found in the waters of Yue Bay.” Korra blinked twice. “We’re going to focus our search efforts here on the island.”

“Does Tenzin know?” she asked.

Lin rolled her eyes. Korra couldn’t help but smile smugly. “Tenzin’s, his family, and the rest of the city’s, safety is our main concern. We’re going to set a city wide curfew as well

“Darn, there goes my social schedule,” Korra said with a shake of her head

“Korra,” Mako started.

“I’m kidding,” she said with a wave of her hand. “We all know I don’t have one with President Raiko calling a meeting every time he blows his nose,” she cracked. One of the members of the police force snickered. Lin shot him a glare. He cleared his throat. 

“We were wondering if you have seen or heard anything strange here,” Mako said.

“Nope.” Korra looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I told you that already.”

“Well, things could have changed in the past few days.”

“Well, they didn’t.”

“Well, we can’t be too sure.”

“ _You_ might not, but I can.”

“Will you two cut it out?” Lin barked. Korra flinched. She then reached up and touched the corner of her eye before wiping it on her sleeve. Lin wiped at the corner of her mouth before giving the Avatar an apologetic look. “We have business to attend to. This is a serious matter and not a lover’s quarrel.”

“I just have a question,” Mako said while stepping forward. Lin looked at him out of her peripheral before stepping to the side. Korra titled her head back a bit to look him in the eye. “Since when do you wear earth nation gear?” 

The Avatar mentally kicked herself, remembering the pile of clothes on her bed. She forced herself not to panic as she scanned Mako’s clothing. He was wearing his usual black detective uniform.

“Since when do you care about clothing?” she shot back. “That’s the only thing you wear. How many uniforms do you own? Four?”

“Five,” he muttered.

“I called Su to come into the city,” Lin interrupted. “She should be here in a few days. I’m going to need her help with the search. Will you be available as well?”

“Anything to get out of all of my meetings,” Korra said with a half-smile. Lin clicked her tongue. As she turned on her heel, the Avatar noticed the usually stoic woman half-smiling herself. They both didn’t have good relationships with President Raiko, and it made Korra happy that they were on the same page.

“Korra,” Mako started. 

She gave him a sharp look. “You can leave now,” she instructed. The two continued to glare eat each other. Lin had to grab Mako by the back of his collar to get him to leave the room.

Mako slammed the door shut behind him. 

“You really need to keep your priorities in check, detective,” she said with bite. Mako clenched his jaw before glaring at the door. Lin placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know how frustrating she can be to work with when it comes to our jobs, but try not to show it too much,” she added.

She then clapped him on the back before walking away from the door, the rest of the police force following her. She paused briefly upon noticing that he wasn’t following them. Lin looked back him over her shoulder. He shook his head. She nodded once before instructing the other members of the police force to follow her with a clearing of her throat. Once they were out of earshot, he tip-toed back over to Korra’s bedroom. He pressed his ear against the door and held his breath.

“Tonight?” Kuvira whispered, a bit of hope lifted her words.

“Tonight, around 2 am.” Korra confirmed. “We’ll just slip out my window. We just have to wait for them to leave first.”

\----

“Have at it,” Korra said, nudging her in the shoulder with her elbow. The two had waited until the early morning before slipping out the Avatar’s bedroom window. They hunkered low and made their way close to the shores of the island, partially hidden by the brush. 

Kuvira smiled softly at her over her shoulder before she stepped out of her shoes. She sighed happily when she felt the earth underneath her feet. Kuvira stomped her foot into the ground. A chair made of rock popped up. The earthbender lowered herself onto it before digging her toes into the ground.

“You mind if I sit with you?” Korra asked. Kuvira dug her heel in to the ground, bending up an identical rock seat next to hers. Korra plopped down before leaning back, lacing her hands behind her head. She closed her eyes and listened the waves breaking upon the shoes of the island. A soft breeze picked up. Korra cracked one eye open when she heard Kuvira take in a breath. She stomped her foot into the ground, bending the right arm rest on her rock chair to disappear into the seat. She then moved her chair over, and removed the left armrest of Kuvira’s chair before fusing the two together.

Korra reached out for Kuvira’s hands and held them tightly in between hers. She then blew warm air onto them. Kuvira’s pale arms were peppered with goose bumps when she felt the warmth rising over her body. 

“Thanks,” she said quietly. Korra nodded once but remained silent. Kuvira shifted a bit closer, relaxing in the warmth radiating off of the Avatar. A few seconds later she felt her eyelids begin to droop. Kuvira placed her head on Korra’s shoulder, letting the fatigue take over her. She made a light humming sound when she felt Korra brush some of her hair behind her ear.

“Korra?” Mako shouted. Korra jumped, knocking her shoulder into Kuvira’s forehead, who winced in pain, before turning in the direction of his voice. Under the dark sky, he could see her light blue eyes widened in shock. She jumped up and placed a hand on Kuvira’s shoulder when she made to run off. The earthbender sent her a questioning look but instantly relaxed when Korra shook her head with a reassuring smile.

“Mako.” Korra ran up to him at her bedroom window. She held her hands up, as if she were showing that she didn’t have any ulterior motives of trying to get close to him. “Keep your voice down,” she pleaded.

“So, it’s true?” he asked roughly. Korra nodded once. His eyes widened in disbelief before he ran a hand through his hair. “You’re hiding her? Here? _Are you crazy?_ ”

“No,” Korra answered simply. Mako scowled at her how calm she was. She motioned for him to slip out of her window. She looked around the corner of the temple as Mako jumped out of the window. She turned and jumped slightly at how close he was, and how mad he was. With every breath he exhaled smoke. “I’m giving her a chance when the world wouldn’t.”

“She escaped from jail,” Mako dryly reminded her.

“She is not much of a threat here. There’s no metal, plus she hasn’t fully recovered from.” Korra then shot him a sheepish grin. “And, technically, she didn’t escape jail, since she was already outside of the building when she left.”

“I don’t want to hear how hard her life has been or technicalities.” He rolled his eyes before exhaling sharply. A small stream of fire erupted from the end of his nose. “This has to stop.” He brushed past her, heading for the side of the temple. Korra grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Where are you going?” she demanded.

“I have to tell the Chief,” he answered stiffly. 

“No, you can’t!”

“Korra,” Mako said sharply, “It’s my job and my duty to this city that I-”

“Put your job first,” she interrupted. Mako looked at her in disbelief. “Again,” she added quietly. She took a few steps back as he let out a cry of frustration. Fire blasted towards the ground. Korra quickly used her earthbending to move sand on top of the small flames, quickly extinguishing them. 

“How much longer are you going to keep that over my head?” he demanded.

“Forever, because I now understand why you have to do what you have to do,” Korra said quietly. Mako faltered a bit with a response. He looked at her in confusion as she ran a hand through her hair. “You had a tough time growing up. It’s something I wouldn’t necessarily understand. So you want to work hard to make sure you don’t have to go back. That’s something I really respect about you.”

“Thanks…thank you,” he said slowly.

“But Mako,” Korra wet her lips, “I can’t go back to the way I used to act. If I’m really destined to bring balance to this world as a new Avatar, then I have to do what I believe is to be the best, like Aang when he didn’t kill Fire Lord Ozai. I believe Kuvira is the first step in my new role

Mako gave Korra a long look before rubbing the bridge of his nose. He sighed hard before relaxing. “I said I would always have your back, and I meant that. I trust your judgment.” 

“Thank you,” Korra said softly. “That means a lot.” She smiled softly before turning her attention back to Kuvira. She had pulled her legs up into her chair; her arms wrapped around her knees, resting her chin on her forearm. She looked up at the night sky, smiling softly as a breeze picked up and blew her hair around her face. “I’m sorry about earlier. I just had to get you all out of there.”

“I understand. No hard feelings.” He shrugged. “So, what’s the plan?” Mako questioned.

Korra inhaled before letting it out slowly. “Kuvira wants to make amends to the people she hurt and then travel back to the Earth Kingdom to help with reconstruction. I think we’d be able to get her to move about safely if we change her appearance. Of course, I haven’t told her this yet.”

He shivered against the cool breeze before crossing his arms over his chest. He was was about to offer Korra his coat, but stopped upon noticing that she didn’t seem affected by the chill at all. Mako mentally slapped himself on the forehead before rolling his eyes, remembering that not only was she the Avatar but she hailed from the coldest place on the planet, so this was probably nothing to her. “What about a short term plan? It wouldn’t be feasible to keep her here. I’m surprised you were able to keep it quiet for so long.”

She chuckled. “Leave it to a detective to use big words when they aren’t needed,” she said with a teasing smile.

“Force of habit,” he muttered.

“Now that you know, and Lin is focusing in on Air Temple Island, I’m going to have to move her.”

“Where?”

Korra shifted her blue eyes over in his direction. She bit the inside of her cheek. “I have an idea, but she’s still going to have to hide,” she admitted.

“Why?”

“Because, I need to slowly warm Asami up to the idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm looking for a beta reader for this story, and maybe my other stories as well unless I can find a beta for each one. Message me on tumblr or ff.net (links in my profile) if interested.
> 
> PS: This story will now be updated on Wednesdays


	10. Chapter 10

Asami looked up from the papers on her desk when she heard a knock on her office door. "Hang on second," she said into the phone. "Come in," she called out. She smiled brightly and waved as Korra stepped into the room. The CEO pressed the phone in the crook of her shoulder and her ear, holding it in place. "Okay, I'm back."

Korra gave a small wave in return before looking around the room. Every time she visited Asami at the office she would find herself gazing at the giant bookshelf filled with numerous books about engineering and physics and other things Korra didn't really understand. Some of the books were written by Asami's father, which had surprised her upon first glance. Korra had to admit, even though he was mixed up in his ideals, he had a brilliant mind, and often found herself amazed at how much Asami took after him.

"Sounds great, talk to you later. Bye." Asami hung up the phone and made a few marks on the papers in front of her before blowing her hair out of her face. She looked up at Korra smiled brightly. "What's the purpose of this visit?"

"Can't someone miss their girlfriend?" Korra asked while walking up to the desk. She paused and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks turned a bright red as she slowly shut her eyes and shook her head back and forth.

"Girlfriend?" Asami repeated. She chuckled softly. "We're using labels now? Not that I wasn't exclusive before," she said teasingly.

Korra let out a small groan. "I just got to talking with someone and I thought it would be good to just clear the air," she muttered.

"Who?"

The Avatar paused. Her eyes widened a bit before turned to look back at Asami. She bit her bottom lip before widening her eyes a bit more, trying to pull off an innocent look. "Excuse me?" she asked lightly.

"Who did you talk to?" Asami repeated. "I mean, you do need to talk to someone other than me. It's understandable."

"…Pema," Korra answered slowly. "She helps me with a lot of stuff."

"Like taking Mako from me," she joked.

Korra's jaw dropped in shock. "…You knew?"

"I talked to Pema while you were gone for three years," Asami admitted. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised she didn't mention it. I mean, with two people using one person as their middle ground some things are bound to spill out."

"I'll come back to that later." The Avatar took a seat on one of the armrest of a nearby chair. She brushed her bangs out of her face before smiling brightly. "I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead." Asami started to twirl the pen that she held in between in her fingers. "I'm all ears."

"Okay," Korra sighed. She smoothed her hands out on her pant legs and bit her bottom lip. She started to bob her head while tapping her thighs with her hands. Asami watched with a raised eyebrow. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from laughing at how nervous the Avatar was acting. "How would you feel about me…possibly moving in?"

Asami's eyes slowly widened. She dropped the pen she was holding. It clattered loudly onto the table. Korra reached over and picked it up before placing it back into her hand. She smiled softly, waiting for a response.

"What brings on this idea?" she finally asked.

"I just think it's time for me to move out of the temple," Korra admitted with a shrug. She crossed her arms over her chest before getting up and pacing in a small circle "They're finding more airbenders, and more are moving here to get some training. Tenzin loves it and Pema is used to all of the noise, but I think things would be easier if I weren't adding to their burden."

Asami softened. "You're not a burden. I'm sure they've never seen you as that."

"I'm not exactly helping matters with being a bad influence on their kids."

The engineer laughed. "Who says you're a bad influence?" she asked.

"Well, Tenzin didn't use those exact words but I can tell he's still mad about that water fight incident," Korra said while rubbing the back of her neck. She stopped pacing and took a seat in the chair opposite of the engineer. Asami rolled her eyes before nailing her with a look. "Hey, if they didn't hide in the treasure room and came out when I asked, none of that stuff would have been damaged."

"They were supposed to be meditating and you ended up flooding a room," she pointed out.

"But it kept them on their toes with their airbending," Korra said with a proud grin. "I mean, they were able to redirect some of the water I threw at them."

Asami furrowed her eyebrows. Korra's smile quickly faded. The ticking from the clock was the only sound in the room. The engineer frowned in through. She leaned back in her seat behind the rest, propping her elbow up on the armrest. "I think it's a good idea," she finally said.

"Having another water fight? Me too!" Korra said. She tapped her chin. "I'm thinking bigger."

"No, silly." Asami shook her head. She leaned forward and placed her forearms onto the desk in front of her. She brushed some of her bangs out of her face before smiling warmly at the Avatar. "You moving in with me." Asami could feel herself getting close to tears when she saw Korra literally beam at her words. "Sure, Mako's and Bolin's family is still living there but the place is so big we'd barely run into each other. Plus, I think it'd be a good way to see each other more often."

"Well, we both are very busy," Korra added.

"We also didn't really take that into consideration when we thought things would be the same like our vacation to the Spirit World," Asami concluded.

"See, this is why vacations shouldn't be so perfect." The Avatar joked. She placed on hand on the desk before placing the other on her hip. "That way, we all won't be struck with paradise syndrome."

"If they weren't, then people wouldn't go on getaways," the engineer concluded. Korra smiled at her before walking around the desk. She pulled Asami out of her seat and rose on her tiptioes before placing a light kiss to her cheek. Asami closed her eyes before wrapping her in a hug.

"Would you mind if started moving some of my stuff in today?" Korra asked, her voice muffled with her lips pressed into Asami's shoulder from the height difference.

"Not at all." Asami pulled away before pressing her forehead against the darker girl's. "I'd love to help but I have more meetings this afternoon.

"Oh, it's okay." Korra's blue eyes shined with admiration. "You have a really big project that you need to focus on. The whole city needs it. I understand."

"I knew you would," Asami answered gently. She took Korra's hands into hers before squeezing them lightly. "How about I bring some dinner home for us tonight? Kind of a way to welcome you to the place."

"You had me at dinner," she responded. Korra gave her one more hug before pulling away. She gently pushed Asami back into her seat. "You have a lot work to do. I won't bother you anymore." Korra jogged over to the office door. "I'll see you later, then." She called over her shoulder before wrenching the door open.

"Bye. Don't slam the-" Asami called out. She winced as the door closed shut behind Korra with a bang. She watched as an art piece hung above the doorframe swing back and forth before clattering to the ground. "Door," she finished with a sigh. Korra slowly opened the door and poked her head into the small opening. She looked down at the painting before smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just too excited. See you tonight."

Asami couldn't help but smile as she waved goodbye to her girlfriend. She smiled even harder as the relationship label floated on her mind.

\---

Korra softly shut the door closed behind her. She let out a deep breath and smiled to herself. "My girlfriend. That has a nice ring to it," she muttered. She cleared her throat before jogging down the hallway. She took a turn once she reached the end and stepped into a small office. Mako looked up from his seat at the table; a notebook filled with scribbles was open on the table. He closed it before standing up.

"So?" he asked.

"We just need to sneak her out of the temple and then over to the Sato Mansion," Korra instructed.

"So, we just need to get past the city wide curfew and the Chief." He nodded. "Seems easy enough," he added sarcastically.

Korra half-smiled. She motioned for Mako to exit the room before her. Korra paused when she noticed a small picture of Asami and her father on the wall. She was seated in a chair looking directly at the camera, smiling softly. Hiroshi stood behind her, with one hand on her shoulder, smiling proudly. _This had to have been taken before we met. Maybe, it was when he started to groom Asami to work with him in the company._

The Avatar smiled at how genuine the two looked to be posing with each other. Korra bit her bottom lip before closing her eyes and sighing hard.

_I didn't lie when I said I wanted to move in with you and called you my girlfriend. When this comes to a head, I hope you can understand why I'm doing what I'm about to do._


	11. Chapter 11

"Good, you're here," Lin barked as Su stepped off of the train. She jerked her head before turning on her heel, a motion meant for her younger sister to follow her. "Let's go. We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Nice to see you again too, Lin," Su said sarcastically. She widened her stride to catch up to the quick pace her sister had set. "You're looking lovely as usual."

Lin immediately stopped, a foot rose about to ascend a staircase. Su caught herself before running into her back. Lin exhaled sharply out of her nose before turning on her heel. "I'm sorry. It is good to see you," she said sincerely.

Su smiled warmly before giving Lin a hug. "It's good to see you too. Although I wish it were under different circumstances," she admitted. "So, what's been going on?"

Lin ran a hand through her hair before starting up the stairs. Su matched her pace, shielding her eyes as they exited the train station. She frowned when she noticed a few members of the police force standing around a black satomobile. Lin walked over and quickly climbed into the driver's seat. Su offered the officers a brief smile before getting into the passenger seat. "We believe she is somewhere near Air Temple Island." Lin looked in the rearview mirror and watched as the rest of her police force piled into a satomobile behind them before starting the car and pulling away from the curb. "We found her platinum handcuffs in the bay."

"Avatar Korra lives there, does she not?" Su questioned. "Have you asked for her help?"

"Yes, and so far she's been hard to track down," Lin muttered. She clenched her jaw before rolling her eyes. "As great of an Avatar she is, she is still a kid and huge pain in my side." Su chuckled softly which pulled a smile from her older sister. "I am going to bring everything to Tenzin's attention before officially setting up the city wide curfew. This way we can protect his family."

"Why would Kuvira stay in Republic City?"

"You know her better than I do." Lin looked over at Su with a raised eyebrow. She cursed under her breath and jerked the steering wheel to the left, barely avoiding a porcupine spirit that had appeared close to a nearby spirit vine.

"I thought I did," Su answered with a hard sigh. She propped her elbow up on the door frame before looking out the window. Her

"Su, I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Lin slowed the car down as she reached a red light. She pressed her foot firmly on the brakes and rested her left arm on the steering wheel. The chief of police turned slightly in her seat to face her younger sister. "You had once mentioned that you took Kuvira in and loved her like one of your own children." Suyin nodded. "When the time comes, will you be able to separate the two? Seeing her as a daughter as well as the Great Uniter?" she asked.

Su inhaled sharply through her nose. "I've been doing it for six months. What's a lifetime?"

\---

_Kuvira winced as the bright lights in the room suddenly flicked on. She tried to raise her arm to cover her eyes, but hissed in pain once it moved off of the ground. She rolled onto her side and pushed herself up so that her back was resting against the wall. Kuvira licked her lips and winced at the pain from the cracks and splits in her skin._

_"Get up," a male voice said harshly._

_"I am up," she muttered with bite. Stepping into the light, the guard rolled his eyes. He was twirling a set of keys on a key ring around his finger. Kuvira watched the metal moving around the ring, her green eyes widening at the light clinking sound from the keys hitting each other._

_"Don't even think about it," he said with a smirk, "they're platinum just like the lock keeping you in here." Kuvira squeezed her eyes shut before turning away, clenching her jaw in anger. "Let's go."_

_The guard stuck the key into the lock before popping it open. It was then Kuvira noticed two other guards were standing behind him at the door to the room. She watched in confusion as the guard with the keys opened her wooden cell door. "Grab her."_

_Kuvira felt her heart beat increase when the two other guards entered the room. Their uniforms had a symbol right above the left breast pocket. She craned her head to the side, struggling to read the patchwork as they stepped closer towards her. Kuvira yelled in pain as they grabbed her roughly by the arms and pulled her to her feet._

_"The doctor would like to see you," the guard with the keys said as she was forced past him. Kuvira's eyes widened once his words settled. She tried to drag her feet along the ground and winced as a few stray splinters pierced and poked the bottoms of her feet as well as her toes._

_They four of them stepped out of her holding area and into a dimly lit hallway. The harsh combination of chemicals and a burning smell filled her nostrils. The lights flickered and flashed, forcing Kuvira's eyes to constantly adjust to the changing lights. The further down the hallway they went, the quieter everything became. The paint on the walls had started to peel, and various bodily fluids splashed across doorframes._

_The air grew stale and hot, forcing beads of sweat to erupt across the earthbender's skin. One of the guards dragging her across the floor suddenly sneezed, letting go of our arm. Kuvira shouted as her knees dropped to the floor. Without the use of her hands, her head slammed into the ground, pain flashing across her temples. Her vision swam as tears started to flood her eyes._

_"The once Great Uniter, is nothing but a joke," the guard with the keys started to twirl them around his finger once more._

_"Where…are you taking me?" Kuvira spat the sour liquid that had filled her mouth. She groaned when she noticed the dark color under the dim lighting. She felt it dribble down her chin and drip underneath her threadbare shirt. "This isn't…part of the jail."_

_"It's a secret part," the guard on her left said while yanking her to her feet. Kuvira felt the pain in her arm intensify. Bone scraped against bone as her arm was pulled up harshley as she was brought back to her feet. The guard who sneezed laughed gleefully as he took her right arm. "Something Chief Beifong doesn't need to know about."_

_They reached the end of the hallway and came across a set of double doors. The guard with the keys pushed them open with his hands. Kuvira shivered as her feet were dragged across the cool tile. An examination chair sat in the center of the room, the mirrored ceiling reflected them all. She looked up and winced, finally taking a look at her disheveled state. The two guards holding her up dragged her over to the table._

_"Doctor," the guard with the keys greeted a man sitting in a corner reading a magazine. He looked up at the mention of his name and gave a curt nod, before taking in the sight of a battered and bruised Kuvira. He bit the inside of his cheek as she took in her surroundings. The two guards who had brought her into the room, picked her up and dumped her into the chair._

_Kuvira grunted as the wind was knocked out of her. She gasped for air as the guard with the keys motioned for the other two to leave the room. As they turned, Kuvira caught sight of the icon on their shirts: small lightning bolts. They both smirked over at Kuvira before heading towards the exit. One of the guards reached into the breast pocket and pulled out a pair of Republic City police badges. The two fastened them over the lightning bolts on their shirts before exiting the room. Kuvira stared at the swinging doors, watching as her only means of escape closed._

_"Why am I here?" she whispered._

_"For some rehabilitation," the guard answered. "Doctor, if you please." Kuvira rolled her head over to the side, the muscles in her neck tensing with exertion. She blinked rapidly as a bright light shined into her eyes. A second later she heard a ripping sound. Kuvira jumped when she felt something poke into her skin, a second later something was placed on top of the area and smoothed out with a warm palm. She shifted her gaze down to see two wires taped into place on the top of her red and swollen foot._

_"What?" Kuvira tried to sit up. The doctor placed a hand onto her shoulder and forced her back into the chair. "What's going on?" her voice rose as the two men started to strap her arms, leg, and neck to the table. She flinched as the guard lifted her shirt up to the top of her ribcage and fastened a large strap across her hips._

_Neither men answered as the continued to patch more wires into place on various parts of her body. The top of her feet, her inner thighs, her arms, her abdomen, her upper arms, and her collar bones where spotted with black tape holding the wires to her skin. The doctor coughed into his arm as he made his way over to a nearby table. A grey box sat on top of the table and was plugged into the wall. Two screens showed needles, currently sitting at zero, and a black switch in between them. A smaller box with a dial was connected to the box._

_"No," Kuvira whimpered as the doctor's hand moved to flip on the switch. The doctor looked over at her for the briefest of moments before turning his attention to the guard. "Don't. Please."_

_The guard looked at her with a sneer. He slowly walked over towards the chair, never shifting his gaze from the earth bender. Once at her side, pressed two fingers on every black patch placed on her body. His smile only widened when she tried to move away, her movement limited from the straps holding her down._

_Kuvira gritted her teeth and growled in pain as the guard suddenly placed his hand flat on her bruise and pushed down hard. She wiped her head from the left to the right; her fingers curling into her palms, pressing deeper and deeper. The doctor got up out of his seat and walked over to her. He pried her fingers out of her hands; tiny red crescents prints marked the middle of her hand, glittering a dark red underneath the lights. The doctor shook his head before pulling a disinfectant swap out of his pocket._

_The guard pulled his hand away from Kuvira's bruise as the doctor wiped at the cuts in her palm. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eyes as her cuts began to sting. The doctor tossed the wipe to the floor before walking back over to the table. He tapped the grey box and hummed happily as the needles shifted with every tap._

_The guard turned and looked at the doctor, raising one eyebrow and nodding his head. The captain nodded in response before reaching over and flicking a black switch on the box. Kuvira flinched when she heard a soft crackle fill the room. "You didn't give those people a fair chance. So why should we?"_

_Kuvira felt her stomach churn as the guard let out a deep laugh. A lump formed in her throat and her hands began to shake. She pulled her trembling lips into a thin line, trying to suppress the cry that was fighting its way past her gums._

_The guard laughed deeply as he made his way towards the exit. He passed through the two doors, just as the doctor turned the dial on the small box. The guard continued to head down the hallway as Kuvira's screams echoed up and down the corridor._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that don't know: I got rid of my schedule for updating my stories so this fic, as well as my other fics, will be updated sporadically when I get the time. It is easier for me to write this way instead of being stressed and somewhat forcing out a chapter just to reach a deadline.
> 
> As for this chapter, I've been meaning to work on writing description, and I felt like this story was a great place to test it out. Please, let me know what you all think.
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	12. Chapter 12

Kuvira woke up and groaned as she felt the sweat attached to her skin. She slowly sat up in the bed, peeling her drenched shirt away from her skin. With a frown of discomfort, she pushed the sheets off of her body before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Kuvira let out a deep sigh before holding her head in her hands.

“Hey,” Korra muttered as she looked up at her. She rubbed her forehead before pushing herself off of her stomach, her dark hair falling into her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Just a bad dream,” she muttered. “Or a memory, I’m not really sure anymore.” The Avatar quickly got up and sat down next to her on the bed. Kuvira shivered as a light breeze wafted into the room through the cracked window. Korra waterbent the sweat off of Kuvira, before using her airbending to dry her clothes. “They’re so vivid. I can still smell the chemicals.”

“Thank you for telling me about it last night.” Korra placed a hand on Kuvira’s shoulder. She squeezed lightly before moving to rub small circles on her back. “It must have been hard.”

“I needed to. I wanted to.” Kuvira lifted her head out of her face before turning to look at the darker girl. “You deserve to know everything,” she added. Korra nodded once before half-smiling. Kuvira reached back and pulled at her long braid, slowly untangling it so that her dark locks flowed down her back.

“When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?”

“Before I attacked the city, ironically.”

“How about we take our minds off of it?” Korra suggested. She reached over towards the bedside table and flicked on the radio. Kuvira grabbed a comb off of the table, wincing as pain flared up in her shoulder, before running it through her hair. 

_The Earth Kingdom is still in a state of disarray, even with the tactics King Wu has been trying to implement to help bring peace to the nation. While many have responded positively to his movements to have each state have independent elected leaders, there hasn’t been much of a change as many are in dispute as to who should lead their individual states._

_In a recent interview, King Wu has admitted that he is facing troubling times ahead if he can’t come to a resolution. His first and main worry, at the moment, is to try and rebuild various states to bring back a sense of normality, and to supply more jobs for those out of work. While it is still a work in progress, various benders from every nation has traveled to the nation to offer help. Slowly, but steadily, things are looking towards turning for the better._

“It sounds like Bolin is doing well,” Korra commented before she turned the radio off. Kuvira remained silent as she continued to brush her hair. The Avatar removed her hand from the earthbender’s back, before rubbing her hands against her pajama pants. She swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. Kuvira turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “I have an idea that would help get you in people’s good graces.”

“What is it?” Kuvira asked. She winced as her comb caught a few small knots. She tugged at her hair a few times before the comb pulled the knots out of her locks. Korra frowned as the earthbender tossed the small clumps to the floor.

“After things calm down here, a bit, we travel to the Earth Kingdom and help them rebuild,” Korra announced. She waved her hand in the circle, bending the air to pick up the knots of hair from the floor and pushed them out the window.

“At this point, there’s a bounty over my head,” Kuvira pointed out. “People will recognize me.”

“Not if we change your appearance,” the avatar said with a bit of excitement. Kuvira scoweled. “You can blend in and just say you’ve come from Republic City and want to help bring back your nation to what it once was,” Korra continued. “Then, sometime later, we’ll reveal your true identity and people will see that you’ve atoned for your actions.”

“Atoned?” Kuvira’s scowl turned into a smirk. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with that detective. at least when you’re not with your little girlfriend.”

When Korra wasn’t out going to various meetings with President Raiko or Chief Lin Beifong, or conversing with Mako about ways to sneak Kuvira out of the temple, Korra would spend what little free time she had left with Asami either at her office or at the Sato Estate before retreating back to Air Temple Island. While Korra did move into the estate, she still found herself spending a lot of time at the Temple, making sure things with Kuvira were going smoothly, as well as working with Tenzin on new meditation techniques. All of which Asami was fine with, excluding the Kuvira issue.

Between the six months after the battle of Republic City, and Kuvira escaping from jail Asami had moved back into the Sato Estate. After the death of her father, she felt that between the home, and Future Industries, it was the only two things of her family she had left. While she did originally move out because it reminded her of her father and everything he did in connection to the Equalists, she now found that it brought a sense of normality. She liked being able to have a place to unwind away from work instead of spending nights on the couch in her office.

“Do you enjoy making fun of me?” Korra asked.

“What else am I supposed to do to pass the time?”

“It’s good to know you have a sense of humor,” she answered dryly. A loud knock came from the other side of the door. There was a brief pause, before one more knock sounded. Korra jumped up from her seat on the bed and rushed over to the door. She pushed it open a crack, and peered out of the small opening, before moving to the side and pulled the door open a bit wider.

Kya stepped into the room and gave the Avatar a quick smile as the younger girl pushed the door close. “How have you been?” the older woman asked as Korra gave her a big hug.

“On edge,” she admitted. “We need to get Kuvira out of here and soon before Lin gets any closer

“I passed by Mako on my way here,” Kya explained as she walked over towards Kuvira. The earthbender had pulled her green tank top off as Korra pulled a spare towel out of the armoire in the room. She placed it down on the bed before gently lowering Kuvira down on the bed. “He was waiting at the docks for the rest of the police force, so you have a bit of time, but not much.” Kya bent some water out of a skein on her hip. Kuvira sighed in relief as the glowing water wrapped around her shoulder. “Do you have a place to move her?”

“Yes, the Sato Estate,” Korra muttered. She had her arms crossed over her chest and watched as Kya slowly worked the healing water over Kuvira’s form.

Kya paused for the smallest of seconds before continuing. “Asami is fine with this?” she asked.

Kuvira’s eyes snapped open. She looked up at Kya before slowly sitting up, wincing as her muscles screamed in pain. She and the older water bender both stared at the Avatar. Korra rubbed the back of her neck before shifting from foot to foot, her gaze never reaching them. After a few moments of silence she threw her hands into the air, and let out a loud groan. “She doesn’t know, okay? I haven’t told her yet.”

“Why not?” Kya asked. “If she’s really important to you, she deserves to know the truth

“How would I bring up that topic?” Korra demanded. “Hey Asami, I have a big favor to ask. Would you be okay if I bring a fugitive into the house? By the way, she tried to take over Republic City with a giant gun that blew up everything in its path and made you think I was dead, who also had a hand in the passing of your father?” she ranted. She placed a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, she’d really go for that if I didn’t prepare her first.”

Kuvira winced before leaning back down on the bed. “I didn’t specifically go after him,” she muttered.

“I know that,” Korra softened, “but convincing her will be harder.” She turned her attention over to Kya. “This is not something to be taken lightly.”

“She’s trusted your judgment before,” the healer said with a shrug. “while she may have some reservations, I do think-”

“Wait a second!” Korra interrupted. She walked over to Kya before grabbing her shoulders and turning the older woman towards her. “What do you mean?” she demanded.

Kya smiled softly. “I just thought that since the two of you are pretty close-”

Korra’s eyes widened a bit as a light flush rose up in her cheeks. Her grip slightly tightened on the older woman’s shoulders. Kya reached up and pried the Avatar’s hands off of her, inspecting her skin for any puncture marks. “What do you know?”

“That you two are together,” she answered simply. Korra’s jaw dropped. “No one’s talked to you about it since it’s just an assumed thing. Plus, you deserve your privacy.” Kya then reached out and rubbed a spot on Korra’s cheek. “Also, you have a bit of her lipstick on your cheek.”

“Well…that makes things a bit easier,” Korra muttered while furiously rubbing her cheek. Kuvira loudly cleared her throat. Kya let out a soft chuckle as she resumed her healing. 

\---

As soon as the ferry was hitched to the Air Temple’s docks, Mako stepped off and speed walked up the main stairs. Suyin and Lin followed close behind him, with the rest of the police force bringing up the rear.

“We’re going to talk to Tenzin,” Lin explained. “The rest of the police officers will set up a perimeter. You patrol the hallways for any clues,” she added.

“Yes, Chief,” Mako said with a nod. He turned sharply on his heel before walking down the first hallway to his left. Captain Saikhan stood on the stairs of the temple, giving out directions to the rest of the police force. Mako quickly checked over his shoulder before running the rest of the way to Korra’s bedroom. He knocked twice, before pausing, and knocking once more.

The door to the room slid open. Korra grabbed him roughly by his shirt before pulling him inside. “Did anyone see you?” she demanded.

“No, but Lin and Suyin are here,” he answered while pulling her hand off of his clothes. He smoothed out his uniform before placing his hands behind his back.

“Su is here?” Kuvira asked. Kya put a hand on the earthbender’s shoulder to keep her from moving, rubbing a makeup brush against her cheeks. “We have to get out of here _now!_ ”

“The rest of the police force is going to set up a perimeter soon,” Mako explained. “We have to move quickly.”

“We’re going to need a car,” Korra said, staring straight at him.

“I didn’t drive one today.”

She groaned before slapping her forehead. “I thought you were given one as a detective after protecting Prince Wu?”

“I was, but the chief drove me today,” Mako said with a shrug. “I have to stay by her side so she doesn’t get suspicious.”

“The plan was to take the ferry and drive over to the Sato Estate.” Korra glared.

“Well, I don’t see you coming up with any good ideas.”

“Did you two used to be together?” Kuvira interrupted. Mako and Korra blushed lightly before turning to face her. “You two sure can argue. Way more than friends would,” she added.

“It’s a long story,” Mako sighed.

“Finished,” Kya announced as she placed her makeup brush down onto the bedside table. Korra picked up a small handheld mirror before passing it over to the earthbender. Kya had curled Kuvira’s long hair, so that it framed her face. Her face was covered in foundation a few skin tones darker than her natural shade, and her beauty mark was covered. Kya had her dressed in red and gold robes.

“Perfect,” Korra commented. She frowned as Kuvira’s eyes started to water. The earthbender reached up and lightly ran a finger over where her beauty mark was once visible. “What’s wrong?”

Before Kuvira could answer, Korra’s bedroom door slid open a bit wider. Everyone gasped, before tensing up, and turning to face the person. Rohan rubbed his eyes and stepped into the room, his hair sticking up in various directions.

Rohan smiled happily before running over to Kuvira. He paused when he noticed her change in appearance.

“KuKu?” he asked.

Kuvira tore her eyes away from the mirror and looked down at him. Her eyes softened at his nickname for her. Rohan clapped happily before hugging her leg. Korra couldn’t help but let out a soft “awww” as she watched the two interact.

The Avatar instantly tensed up again as she heard loud footsteps. “You two head down that hallway,” Captain Saikhan’s voice commanded. “I will go this way.”

“I’ll hold them off,” Kya said. “You three go.”

Korra quickly rushed over to the window. She stuck her head out and looked around before slipping out. Mako quickly followed her. Kuvira brushed Rohan off of her leg before walking to the window.

“KuKu?” Rohan’s lower lip trembled.

She paused and turned back to look at him. His wide eyes started to fill with tears. Kuvira walked over to the bed and plucked the stuffed lemur out of the sheets. “Here.” Kuvira sad while handing it to him. “Thank you, for seeing me as a person.” She lightly patted him on top of his head before slipping out the window. Rohan dropped to the floor, threw his head back, and began to cry loudly. Kya rushed over and scooped him up in her arms. He fought against her grip, his hands outstretched towards the window. 

“Naga, come here girl,” Korra quietly hissed. She lifted two fingers to her lips and blew hard. A shrill whistle floated into the air. Naga came running around the corner, barking loudly. She dug her feet into the ground and slid to a stop in front of Korra, Mako, and Kuvira.SShe happily licked her owner, and Mako before turning towards Kuvira. Naga bent low and let out a deep growl. “Naga, cut it out, or no treats for you.” The polar bear dog whimpered softly before lowering her head to the ground, her ears folding back. 

“Let’s go,” Mako said while climbing onto Naga’s back. He moved to the middle of the saddle so that Korra could sit in the front. “They’ll be here soon.” Korra helped Kuvira climb up onto Naga before placing herself in front of Mako. She dug her knees into Naga’s side. The polar bear dog jumped and up and ran towards the water. Naga jumped high into the air. The last sounds the three of them heard before splashing into the water, was the wails of baby Rohan emitting out of Korra’s open window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“What’s wrong with Rohan?” Pema asked as Kya stepped into the dining room. The toddler was screaming at the top of his lungs, his cheeks red and his voice becoming scratchier with every wail. She rushed over and plucked her child from the water bender’s arms, before bouncing him up and down.

“It’s good to see you, Kya,” Tenzin said, walking over to his sister and giving her a hug.

“I don’t know. He just started crying. I found him wandering the halls.” Kya answered with a shrug. “It’s good to see you too.”

“What are you doing here in Republic City?”

“I thought I’d stop by for a visit during my travels.”

“If we could focus,” Lin snapped, sending a glare in her direction. The water bender rolled her eyes before waving a hand in the air. “The curfew has been set and we have people patrolling the city. If Kuvira is in the area, she can’t get too far.”

“What about my family?” Tenzin questioned.

“We will have people here at the temple, watching over everyone,” the chief of police answered. She relaxed her stiff posture before sending him a gentle smile. “Your safety comes first.”

“Do you really think Kuvira would harm our family?” Pema shouted over Rohan’s screams.

“Who knows what she’s really capable of?” Su questioned. She clenched her jaw, shaking her head back and forth. Her hands shook in her lap..

“What makes you think that she was here?”

“We found her handcuffs in the bay.” Saikhan stepped forward and placed the metal bracelets on the table in front of them. “While we’re only going off of this clue, it is something to look into.”

“I have Mako working with us as well. As you know, he is the best detective we have on our force. I’m sure something will come up soon

“Chief Beifong,” a member of the police force called out. He threw the doors pen to the dining room, doubled over and breathing hard. “Chief-”

“What makes you think you can just interrupt us?” she barked. Suyin placed a hand on her shoulder. Lin smacked her hand off before rising to her feet. “This had better be important. You know how I feel about-”

“It is about Mako,” he gasped. “Me and another office saw him and the Avatar leaving her sleeping quarters.”

“So?” she asked dryly.

“There left on the Avatar’s polar-bear dog into the bay, with an air acolyte.”

Chief Lin Beifong titled her head to the side in confusion. She tapped her chin in thought. “Why would she leave with someone?”

“While they do have free reign, the acolytes usually let me know when they venture off of the island,” Tenzin added.

“Kuku?” Rohan whimpered. 

Suyin gasped. She walked over to Pema and her toddler before leaning down a bit. “What did you just say, honey?” she asked gently. She looked at the toddler’s mother before reaching out and running a finger down Rohan’s wet cheek. She smiled warmly at him before cupping his smell cheek in her hand.

“Kuku,” he repeated.

“She was here,” Suyin announced. “Opal used to call Kuvira that same name when she was a baby because couldn’t pronounce her name.”

“Dammit, Korra!” Lin cursed. “Was there anyone nearby? An eyewitness?”

The guard glanced over at Kya, who calmly looked back at him. He regarded her apologetically. “She left the room a few moments after they departed, carrying the child,” he admitted.

“How far could they have gone?” Lin barked.

“I’m not too sure, but it’s going to storm soon.” The guard straightened up, clicking his heels together. “They can’t get too far in it. Not with Kuvira’s fear of lightning.”

Suyin turned away from baby Rohan and eyed the guard carefully. He stared back at her, taking a deep breath and slowly licking his bottom lip. “How do you know she has a fear of lightning?” she asked.

“…It was in her file.” Chief Lin Beifong dismissed him with the nod of her head. The guard saluted her before stepping out of the room. He cast one more look at Kya and Suyin and then shut the door. Lin quickly turned towards the water bender, giving her a harsh glare, but did’t say anything when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Lin, he’s lying,” Suyin announced once she heard his footsteps fading away.. Her older sister crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve known Kuvira for years. She’s never had a fear of lightning.”

“Wasn’t there an electrical problem the day she escaped” Tenzin asked.

“Yes, there was,” Lin slowly muttered.

\---

“Okay, the coast is clear,” Korra whispered. She stuck her upper body out of her bedroom window at the Sato Estate, holding her hands out. Naga bent down low, allowing Kuvira to climb up onto her back. The metalbender centered her balance before reaching up for the Avatar’s hands. Korra easily pulled her through the window and into the bedroom. “Are you coming?”

“No, I have to get back before the chief notices,” Mako answered from down below. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Korra called back. “Take Naga. She’ll get you there faster. Be careful in the storm.” Mako nodded and gave her a salute. She chuckled and rolled her eyes before giving him the gesture back. A deep roll of thunder filled the air, and was soon followed by a bolt of lightning. Naga whimpered and lifted her front paws towards the window. “It’s okay, Naga. Mako will take care of you.”

Mako rubbed Naga’s side, muttering softly to her. Naga lowered herself from the side of the Sato Estate to the ground. She gave Mako a quick lick to his cheek before bending down, allowing him to climb on. Korra watched as Naga ran down the long driveway of the Sato Estate and into the streets of Republic City. When she couldn’t spot her pet anymore, she closed the window as rain started to pour.

The cloud coverage caused the room to go very dark. Korra flicked on the lamp next to the bed and paused when she spotted a shaking lump underneath her sheets. “Kuvira?” The metalbender poked her head out of the sheets, her hazel eyes wide with fear. She let out a soft whimper as another flash of lightning lit up the sky.

“I would enjoy this bed more if it wasn’t storming outside,” she muttered. Korra walked over to the other side of the bed. She lifted the sheets before slipping underneath them. Kuvira flinched as she felt her dark arms wrap around her middle. 

“What was wrong with my bed at the temple?” Korra asked quietly.

“It felt like I was sleeping on a sheet of rock,” she answered. Every muscle in Kuvira’s body tensed as lightning flashed once more. It was so bright, that she could see it from underneath the bedding. Korra held her tighter, resting her forehead against her spine. Kuvira frowned as heat started to gather in her cheeks.

“Hey, I slept on the floor remember. You shouldn’t be complaining.”

“You offered, and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” the metalbender reminded her. She shifted as her stomach started to flutter. Her palms and forehead began to bead with sweat. With each passing second, she could feel more heat radiating from Korra’s body, causing her cheeks to warm even more.

“It’s okay,” Korra muttered. “With how fast the storm came, it should be over quickly.” Kuvira felt her throat tightening. Her stomach clenched and relaxed. She grunted before pushing at the sheets, desperately trying to break free of its binding. ‘What’s wrong?”

Before she could answer, Kuvira sat up, leaned a bit to her right side, and violently emptied the contents of her stomach. Korra pulled the sheets off from over them before leaning over and rubbing Kuvira’s back. The metalbender threw up a few more times, her body shaking with exertion, her clothes drenched with sweat, and her hair clung to her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” Kuvira groaned, her hands shook as she reached up to wipe off her chin. “I didn’t expect such a big response.”

“It’s no problem,” Korra answered. She slid off of the bed before entering the bathroom, flicking on the light. She switched on the shower and pulled out a towel and washcloth from underneath the sink. “Why don’t you wash yourself off and I’ll change the sheets?”

Kuvira walked to the bathroom, hunched over and grabbing her stomach before closing the door behind her. She gazed around the bathroom, marveling at its luxurious decorations and various amenities. She peeled off her sweat soaked and vomit covered clothes before balling them up and placing them in the sink. The metalbender froze when she heard a light knock on the door.

“It’s just me,” Korra whispered. “I just wanted to grab your clothes to wash them.” Kuvira looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her bruises and cuts had completely healed thanks to the session from Korra and Kya over the past few weeks. Her hazel eyes were brimmed with tears, but her skin seemed to have its healthy glow return.

“Just a second,” she answered. Kuvira stepped into the shower and pulled the curtains shut. At the sound, the Avatar opened the door and stepped into the room. Kuvira instantly relaxed when she felt the warm water sprinkle onto her skin.

“The storm is passing, but I’ll let you know if you need to get out.” Korra grabbed Kuvira’s soiled clothing before wrapping it up in the bedding she carried in her arms. As she walked back towards the door, she heard the metalbender let out a warm sigh. “Enjoy it.”

Korra exited her bedroom and tiptoed down the long hallway towards the laundry room. She gripped the bedding tightly to her chest, making sure it didn’t drag on the ground or bunch around her feet. As she walked down the hallway a door opened up behind her. Korra uttered a curse before conjuring up an air scooter and zipped down the hallway and turned a corner.

Asami stepped out of her office, rubbing her burning eyes. She frowned when a gust of wind picked up and blew her clothing and her hair around. She peered down the dark hallway, at both ends, before smiling softly. “Korra, is that you?” she called out.

When she didn’t receive a response, she turned off the light to her office and closed the door. Pulling a set of keys out of her pocket, she locked the door and made her way up the hallway towards Korra’s bedroom. Knocking lightly, she stepped into the room. “Korra, are you okay?” Asami’s eyes scanned the empty bedding, noticing the few damp stains on the bed. A soft flash of lightning caught her attention before she heard the sounds of the shower. “Oh, maybe she’s uncomfortable with the storm.”

“Korra, is everything okay?” Asami asked while knocking on the bathroom door. “Is there anything I can help you with?” She turned around when she heard a noise behind her. She spotted tan arms carrying a pile of bedding. The engineer slowly looked back at the bathroom door. “Korra?”

The Avatar instantly dropped the bundle she was carrying to the floor. Her blue eyes widened when she spotted Asami standing by the bathroom door. She pulled her lips into a straight line, before slowly closing her eyes, shaking her head back and forth. Asami walked over to her, pointing between them and the bathroom door. “If you’re there, then who’s in there?”

Before the Avatar could answer, the shower turned off. Korra rubbed the back of her neck, shifting from foot to foot as the door handle twisted, before pulling the door open. She watched silently as Asami’s eyes widened in shock, before relaxing with confusion, and then finally narrowing in anger as Kuvira stepped into the room, wrapping in a towel.

The metalbender halted when she spotted the two women in the room. As lighting flashed outside of the window, she barely flinched. The wrath set upon the engineer’s features was more frightening than the weather outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	14. Chapter 14

"What are you doing here?" Korra asked casually. A little too casually. She was acting as if she had bumped into Asami in a restaurant after being out of communication for a few months.

"City wide curfew; I moved some of my work to the house," she answered, her eyes never moving from Kuvira. "What's going on?" Asami demanded. Korra flinched when her voice cracked. She held her hands out in front of her and carefully walked over to the engineer.

"A lot," Korra said slowly. "I can explain everything."

"Did you ask to move in with me, so you could sneak her in here?"

Korra's eyes widened at the accusation. She looked up at the ceiling, over to the wall, to the bed, to Asami, and then back in the circle once more before bitting her bottom lip. "No?" she said, more of a question than responding. Asami's glared deepened. "It was only a little bit of the reason," she admitted. Asami pulled her lips into a straight line before placing a hand onto her hip. "I was going to bring it up to you later, after I warmed you up to the idea."

"You brought the person who murdered my father into my house?" she demanded.

Kuvira frowned. "Your father?" she repeated. Her body became rigid as the engineer turned her attention towards her. Asami walked over and started to harshly poke her in her exposed chest. Kuvira took small steps backward, away from the assault but the engineer followed her with every move.

"Hiroshi Sato, the one you crushed in the hummingbird suit when you tried to take over the city," she practically snarled. Her face turned a light shade of red, making her piercing green eyes that much harder to look into.

"Oh."

"Is that all you can say?" Korra rushed over and grabbed Asami by her elbow pits, pulling her back against her chest.

"Calm down," she pleaded.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Asami shouted, ribbing her arms out the tight grasp. sHE reached up and slowly began to rub her temples. Her green eyes narrowed into dark, sharp squints. Korra breathed deeply, and shifted into a more stoic stance, lifting her chin a bit. Her voice was quiet and soft in stark contrast to her physical features. "She killed my father."

"I may not understand what it feels like to lose someone so close to you, but Kuvira didn't go after your father," Korra answered. "She didn't have agenda to kill him. You warned him that you both needed to leave and he knew the danger of the mission. Asami, you have to trust me on this. She didn't personally betray you."

Asami chuckled bitterly, throwing her hands up in the air. Her green eyes started to widen, and in each passing second they glistened with more and more tears. The end of her nose turned red and breathing started to become more choked up. Her eyes carried indifference and animosity. Korra felt a twinge in her chest, her eyes began to burn and blur as they welled up with tears. She forced herself not to allow them to slide down her cheeks. It wasn't the proper time, not when someone she cared about was deeply hurting about something personal. And yet, the next few words caused them to fall anyway. "No, but you are, Avatar Korra."

Korra's throat tightened as the words filled the empty space. She nodded once before turning away. She cleared her throat, desperate to rid her body of the hard lump that was rising. After taking a few steps towards the door, she broke out into a run, her footsteps echoing down the long hallway.

Asami clenched her hands into fists andtilted her head back, staring at the ceiling, before movement caught her attention. Kuvira paused, a hand outstretched to the clothing on the bed, the other grasping the folds of her towel. She instantly straightened up, regarding the engineer with a blank face. "I want to talk to you," the raven haired girl muttered. "After you get dressed of course."

Kuvira nodded once in understanding before grabbing the clothes in one hand. She gave her a swift bow before walking into the bathroom. Once the door closed she let out a deep breath, once she hadn't realized she was holding. With shaking hands, she started to get dressed.

_Why did you agree to this plan? The Sato name may be common, but even you had to admit that this wasn't going to end well. The police may catch up to us soon. Of course she's going to give me up. I deserve it. I deserve everything, and now I got Korra into trouble. Well, no, she knew what she was getting into, but I can't help but feel responsible for that too. I'm responsible for everything. Everything will always be my fault._

She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, scrunching up her nose at the blue and white clothing she was dressed in. After a few scrutinizing seconds, she took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, Asami pointed towards the corner a few feet away from her. Kuvira walked over and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. She lifted her head and looked up at the engineer, towering above her.

"So, what are your plans with Korra?" she demanded.

"We were to travel back to the Earth Kingdom, myself under disguise, so I could help rebuild what I destroyed," Kuvira's scratchy voice floated among the shadows of the corner. Half of Asami's face was lit by the lamp next to the bed, the other half was hidden in the darkness, making her look more menacing. "She was to hide me here until things had calmed down enough for us to travel, but it may already be too late. I wouldn't be surprised if we now have to leave in the morning. It would be a way to give back and-"

"You surrendered and agreed to whatever punishment the city deemed fit," Asami firmly reminded her, "but then you escaped."

"You don't know what it was like in jail," Kuvira said, slowly shaking her head. She jumped as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. She shifted herself slightly so that the window wasn't in her vision, not even in her peripherals.

"I've been arrested before." She answered dryly.

"You don't know what it's like to be a prisoner."

"So?" Asami's face lit up as more lightning crackled outside. "I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"Not at all." Kuvira tried to steady her breathing, but with the fierce glare Asami was sending her, and the storm picking up outside, it was hard for her to sit still. She wrapped her arms around herself, and lowered her head, before gently rocking from side to side. "Korra and I had a talk in the Spirit World and she showed me that I can't have control over everything, no matter how desperately I craved it." Her voice began to shake as tears started to blur her vision. "My parent's abandonment left a deep see of doubt in myself. I felt like I needed to prove myself, prove my worth. I helped reshape the Earth Kingdom in three years."

The only sound that filled the room was the howling wind outside. Kuvira looked up as Asami gently lowered herself to the floor, her green eyes softer than they had been in a few moments ago. The shadows on her face were chases away by the light from the lamp I nthe room. The metalbender got a clear look at her: bags underneath her eyes, and exhaustion traced every line. "Your parents abandoned you?"

"When I was eight," Kuvira answered slowly. "They told me that they'll be waiting for me to return home from school to buy me some new clothes. I walked back into an empty house. Everything was left behind, as if they went to the grocery store. So I waited for them to come home, and they never did."

"My mother passed when I was six-years-old," Asami supplied. "A firebender murdered her in a robbery gone wrong."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I kind of lost my dad," she said, traces of anger returning to her face, "Before you made me lose him permanently." Kuvira blinked slowly in shame. "He was working with Amon and the Equalists, trying to bring neutrality to the city. I didn't agree with his ways and he sided with the enemy. The loss of my mother really affected him.

"I know an apology won't help anything, but I'm sorry for the pain I caused you."

The fierceness returned to Asami's sharp green eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest. "If you do anything to hurt Korra, I will kill you myself," she vowed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Kuvira answered quietly. She titled her head to the side, peering up at the engineer. Asami frowned, tightening her arms over her chest, popping a hip out and resting all of her weight on it. "You really love her don't you?" she finally asked. Asami's jaw instantly relaxed. She blinked a few times, confusion flashed across her face at the abrupt topic change.

"She talks very highly about you. In fact, whenever she returned to her room from one of those meetings she complains about, or had a misfortune when playing with the air bending children, or even having a simple lunch outing, she always finds a reason to smile." The corners of Kuvira's lips twitched up into a smile. "Most cases, you're that reason, and when it happens, she has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen," she admitted.

Asami regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you-"

Korra appeared at the door, knocking on the frame with her knuckles. The two women turned to look at her. Asami instantly took a few steps back, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "Mako, just called. Lin, Tenzin, everyone knows that you were here," the Avatar reported, holding a radio. Her blue eyes were a duller shade than the vibrant color they usually were. Her voice was flat and dull, with next to no emotion or inflection. "We're going to head out in the morning for Ba Sing Se. They're probably patrolling the city right now. This will give me time to figure out transportation to the train."

Asami glanced over at Kuvira, who was still sitting on the ground in the corner. Her olive green eyes lit up a bit in the dark shadows. She pursed her bottom lip, before taking in a deep breath. "I'm coming with you," she declared, before looking over at Korra.

The Avatar looked as if she wanted to respond but bit her lip instead. The two stared at each other, a wordless conversation passing between them. Kuvira looked down at her wrists, a light scare encircling each one. She followed every bump and ridge with her eyes, before looking up at the ceiling. She started to count the tiles, anything to keep herself as small and unnoticeable.

"Your company," Korra finally muttered.

"It doesn't matter right now," Asami said firmly. "What does matter is getting her to Ba Sing Se…safely." As Korra stepped into the room, walking in Kuvira's direction, the engineer held up a hand. The darker girl instantly stopped walking, and nodded once before leaning up against the wall. Kuvira licked her lips and swallowed hard as Asami dropped to her knees in front of her. "There is something I could use your help with when we're in the Earth Kingdom."

"What is it?"

"Do you know how to get into the nation's background records?" Asami asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of Asami and Kuvira like Katara and Zuko from A:TLA. That will give you a hint on how I plan on portraying their...relationship, if you can call it that. Plus, Asami calling Korra "Avatar Korra" is pretty significant, so pay attention to that in the upcoming chapters.
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	15. Chapter 15

"So, what's your plan on when we get to Ba Sing Se?" Asami wondered, slinging a pack over her shoulder. She closed her satomobile door close with her hip. Slipping her arm into the other strap, she positioned the back around her shoulders and reaching behind her to pull her ponytail out of from between the pack and her back. "Where will she stay?" she whispered.

Korra muttered something as she placed her pack onto her back. Kuvira jumped out of the satomobile, readjusting her blue shirt, a hand-me-down of sorts from the Avatar. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun that rested on the crown of her head. A pair of glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, reflecting her eyes to make them look bigger than they were. Makeup was applied to cover her beauty mark, something of which she largely protested when Asami was applying the cosmetic early in the morning.

"What did you say?" she asked.

Korra answered a bit loudly, but a passing train laid on its horn as it pulled into the station. Kuvira covered her ears, wincing at the harsh sound. Glancing over at the entrance to the train station, she noticed a group of five men dressed in suits walking stiffly through the front doors. She cocked her head to the side, and squinted.

"What?"

The horn of the train cut off just as soon as Korra shouted, "I said, I didn't get that far." Her dark cheeks turned bright red when she noticed people in the parking lot looking over in their direction. She grabbed Asami and Kuvira by the wrists and ducked down beside the car.

"You don't have a plan?" Asami hissed. Korra jerked her thumb in the direction of the train station, motioning for the two to follow her, still crouched low, moving along the rows of cars. She readjusted the green arm bands tightly around her wrists. She was dressed in the Earth Nation clothing she had acquired during her three year absence. Not many people in the city had seen her outside of her traditional blue, black, and white clothing from the Southern Water Tribe. "You're helping a fugitive cross nation boarders, and you didn't think this all the way through?"

"Well excuse me for not having your genius brain," Korra answered sharply, "and in case you forgot, when plans don't work with Team Avatar, we tend to make things up as we go." She turned towards Kuvira and raised one shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll figure that out soon enough."

Asami readjusted the pack on her shoulders. As they neared the entrance Korra shuffled around one satomobile before straightening up and walking stiffly into the entrance. Kuvira and Asami held back, waited a few moments before hurrying into the train station after the Avatar. The engineer handed Kuvira her pack, before smoothing out her hands on her black skirt. She was dressed in her usual business attire, walking with her head held high and her jaw set. The two made their way over to the giant board of flipping cards.

"So?" Kuvira whispered as she scanned the departure and arrival times.

"Ba Sing Se," Korra answered. She reached up and tapped her fingers on the earliest time. "It's departing soon. Let's hope there are some tickets left." She looked over at Asami. The two shared a long look before Asami stepping around them. Korra reached out and lightly grabbed her by the arm. The raven haired girl turned and looked back at her. "Are you sure? You do have a company to worry about."

"Yes, I'm sure." Asami glanced down at the hand around her wrist. Korra slowly uncurled her fingers. "My vice president can handle things."

"No, that's not what I meant." The Avatar shook her head. "You worked so hard to bring around the reputation of the company after your father was found to be supplying the Equalists with weapons. The company couldn't hit a bigger blow than finding out its new CEO helped a fugitive cross nation boarders."

"She is more wanted to atone for her mistakes in the Earth Nation than here. While she did cause destruction, she didn't decimate the hierarchy or ruling of this city like she did in her home nation," Asami answered steadily. "I do expect some backlash; however, I don't think it will be at the grand scale as my father."

With that, Korra made a hand gesture towards the ticket booth. Asami nodded once, took a deep breath, and made her way over to the older man sitting behind the glass. She put on a bright smile as he looked up from his papers. "May I have three tickets on the next train to Ba Sing Se, please?"

"Are you sure you want to visit, Miss Sato?" the man questioned, pulling out three train tickets. "While the city is making headway on regaining order, it is still a mess."

"Yes, I'm sure," she answered with a nod. "There are some things I need to take care of." He shrugged, stamping the tickets with an approved symbol before handing them to her.

As the three of them walked over to their platform, they passed by numerous people, whispering loudly. "Is that the Avatar and Asami Sato?"

"It's Miss Sato alright, but I don't think that's the Avatar. She looks different."

"The Avatar usually wears blue. That can't be her. Just a copycat; someone trying to act like a vigilantly wanting to fix the Earth Nation, just like the last of them. Don't forget what happened when the Great Uniter came through, offering us false hope."

Kuvira swallowed against the hard lump that rose in her throat. She tilted her head back and blinked hard, before shaking her head. Korra walked up to the platform, her shoulders square, her jaw clenched. Asami handed her the train ticket before passing one over to Kuvira. The metalbender half-smiled in thanks, which she wasn't too sure the engineer noticed because she quickly turned away once the ticket was in her hand. Kuvira inhaled deeply, slowly letting out her breath before glancing down at the other end of the platform.

The five men from earlier were standing in a small clump, their hands clasped together in front of them. A loud train whistled echoed around the station as it pulled up in front of them. Asami stepped forward and boarded the stairs, handing her ticket to the conductor. Korra filled up behind her, handing over her ticket. Kuvira noticed the five men entering the train at the back end.

"Ticket?" the conductor pressed.

Kuvira blinked, before facing him. She slapped her ticket into his hand before brushing past him. She immediately tensed up when she felt a strong grip on her elbow. Korra and Asami paused looking back at her, sharing a slight look of worry as the metalbender slowly turned and faced him.

"Here's your stub," the man said with a smile. The metalbender nodded once and received the piece of paper. She offered him a smile before following Korra and Asami through numerous compartments. Eventually the two picked one that was the most empty, only holding a handful of people. Kuvira immediately took a seat and looked out the window, glancing at the other people rushing around the station. A few moments the train departed. Soon they were leaving Republic City and heading for the Earth Nation. As they moved out of the station, Kuvira looked at the destruction in the lower end of the city. Frowning, she glanced at her hands, her shoulders slumping and her pulse racing, heading towards her uncertain future.

Many hours later and the train still hadn't reached Ba Sing Se. The sky had turned a light purple as the sun began to set, stars glittering in the velvet background. Asami deduced that they were taken a different route because of the destruction of the tracks leading into the city from Prince Wu's kidnapping attempt. Luckily, she had thought ahead and brought a few spare bottles of water and food. While Korra desperately wanted to purchase some food from the cart that passed by every hour on the hours, Asami convinced her otherwise, not wanting to leave an electronic money trail.

Kuvira was seated on one side of the train on a bench, staring out the window. Korra and Asami sat opposite of her, with one train seat in between the two. Asami was reading the newspaper for the fifth time while Korra people watched. Every so often she would catch a young child's eye and make funny faces at them, causing the child to bust into a wide smile.

The metalbender shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced down at the train car and spotted the five men wearing business suits, looking back at her. The minute their eyes locked they became engrossed in the radios hooked on their side pockets or in the books they were holding.

"What's wrong?" Korra asked, tapping Kuvira with the tip of her shoe against her shin.

"They entered the train station before we did," Kuvira answered quietly, jerking her head in the men's direction. "They didn't have any luggage on them."

"So?" she asked.

"Something's wrong," Kuvira muttered in Korra's direction. Asami glanced up from her newspaper before shifting her gaze over to the five men seated near them. She instantly folded it up the paper and tucked it underneath her seat. Leaning over, she grabbed Korra by the wrist, she squeezed hard. "I think they're watching-"

"The one with the mustache," Asami hissed. "He was one of those two cops who were giving Mako a hard time when he became was a beat cop a few years ago," she explained. "They're part of Lin's police force."

"She knows," Korra gasped.

At that moment, the air cracked to life. The five men jumped up from their seats, shooting out spools of metal from their jacket sleeves. Korra wrapped an arm around Asami's waist pushing her over to the opposite side of the train. Kuvira reached out and placed her hands on the engineer's shoulders, steadying her.

"Thanks," Asami muttered, instantly pushing away. Korra picked up a briefcase and three it over her shoulder, followed by an umbrella, and then a book – which she snatched out of a stranger's hands. The few other people in the train car gathered up their belongings and their children before bum rushing to the next compartment.

The two remaining metal cables looped around the nearby polls, propelling the police officers forward. Kuvira quickly held her hand out, curled her fingers into a fist, and twisted her hand to the right. The pole that held one of the metal wires broke in half, sending the undercover police officer to the ground. Korra did the same motion, causing the other metal pole to slightly bend. She grunted in pain as the police officer grabbed the metal pole and swung his body around, kicking her in the abdomen. Kuvira snapped the metal wires before grasping the frayed end in her hands. She quickly jumped to the other side of the train car onto the seats, bending the wire around and around in circles up the police officer's body before he toppled over to the ground.

Korra grabbed her side, standing back up as the metalbender inspected the dented pole with a raised eyebrow. She flicked it before turning her green eyes towards the Avatar with a half-amused look. "What was that?" Kuvira asked, motioning to the pole.

"Metalbending isn't one of my strong points," Korra admitted breathlessly.

Kuvira rolled her eyes before sighing hard. She gasped, pushing Asami out of the way before ducking as a food cart was jettisoned towards her head. Korra cried out as it clipped her shoulder. Kuvira glanced over as Asami fell to the ground, grunting in pain and grasping her arm.

The metalbender slowly straightened up, narrowing her eyes, her lips shifting to a deep frown. A sense of calm washed over her body as she became rigid, tensing up her muscles. As the train rocked along the tracks, she remained upright. Her mind cleared off all thoughts as she began to see red, focusing on the two men in front of her. Slowly lifting her hands, she curled her fingers into fists, placing them right by her cheek bones. Cracking her neck, from the left to the right, she shifted her stance before bouncing lightly on her feet.

Asami nudged her on the arm, causing her to jump. Kuvira instantly relaxed, loosening her stiff muscles. She dropped her hands, her tunnel vision widening, before she turned towards the engineer, who wearily stared at her, her green eyes filled with betrayal and fear. Kuvira glanced at her in confusion, before noticing the raven-haired woman pointing up at the ceiling.

Kuvira crouched down low before lifting her arms in the air. She slightly curled her fingers and moved her hands apart. The metal roof of the train split down the middle, before scrunching up against the frame. Wind quickly enveloped the compartment, blowing loose leafs of paper around. Asami quickly scaled one of the poles up to the roof of the train.

The metalbender helped Korra to her feet before pushing her over towards a pole. As the Avatar shimmied up, Kuvira bent one of the spare poles and flung it in the direction of the five undercover police men. It smacked them all in the chest, sending them back a few feet before they double over in pain. Kuvira bent the metal to wrap around them, locking them in a tight embrace.

She then scaled one of the few poles that were left intact, climbing up onto the roof of the train. She glanced around, noticing a wall of trees on one side of the train, and vast desert on the opposite side. Kuvira crouched down low and moved her hands together, bending the metal of the train roof back in place.

"Jump!" Korra shouted. She waved her arms in the air, creating a small vortex. Looping her arm around Asami's waist, the engineer automatically placing her right arm around Korra's neck, the two of them jumped off of the roof of the moving train. Kuvira leapt after them, feet first. The minute she touched the ground, she bent the earth to catch her weight, causing her to sink down until her upper body was sticking out of the ground. She pressed her hands down and pushed herself up before brushing the dust off of her clothing.

Korra and Asami landed gently beside her, the air she conjured up acted like a cushion. "Are you okay?" she asked, glancing worriedly in Kuvira's direction. "How are your knees?"

Kuvira bounced lightly, testing her joints. "Everything is fine."

"We're still a way's away," Korra commented. She watched as the train continued on down the tracks, disappearing behind a bend. "We're going to have a lot of walking to do tomorrow." With that, she dropped her pack to the ground before glancing at their surroundings. Flat ground stretched for miles, but on the other side of the tracks was collection of trees. Judging by how little foliage was left in the area, Kuvira concluded that the land was going to be used for expansion, but the project was never picked up.

"Wait, where are we going to sleep tonight?" Asami asked.

"Here," Korra answered, pointing at the ground.

" _Where?_ " she questioned. Korra and Kuvira looked at one another before stomping a foot into the ground. Two slabs of rock popped up from the ground, forming a teepee. "We're going to sleep on the ground?"

"Asami, you slept on the ground when we were in the Spirit World and when we were hiding out in the sewers when the Equalists attacked," Korra pointed out.

"The ground was Spirit Ground and formed to the curves of our bodies," the engineer said slowly. Kuvira dug her heel into the ground, turning it from left to right. The ground in the rock teepee began to smooth out. She glanced back and forth between Asami and Korra, watching their argument unfold. "When we were in the sewers, the other evacuees had makeshift bedding. This will kill my back."

"We're just going to have to make do with this for now," the Avatar answered stiffly.

"I understand that, but if you had let me bring the air mattress-"

"It would have brought too much attention to us at the train station."

"We already brought enough attention to ourselves, especially since we just had to jump off a few moments ago-"

"There you go," Kuvira interrupted, pointing to the inside of the rock teepee. The two women looked over at her before peering into the opening. The metalbender had moved the ground so that it was flat of rocks and resembled sand. Asami stuck her boot in and rubbed it against the ground. "I'll sleep out here."

Korra frowned in confusion. "But you can bend a shelter," she pointed out.

"I've been locked up indoors for months," Kuvira answered, glancing up at the night sky. Her eyes widened a bit s she glanced at the vast night sky glittering with stars. "I want to feel the Earth," she added.

Korra shrugged before offering up a quiet goodnight. She grabbed her pack and Asami's before stepping to the side, allowing the engineer to enter before her. Asami glanced at her out of the corner of her eye before ducking down under the narrow opening. Korra silently followed her, glancing over her shoulder to see Kuvira making herself comfortable, as much as she could, before passing Asami her pack.

The engineer flashed a brief smile of thanks before unzipping it, digging around and muttering something about a flashlight. Korra snapped her fingers and ignited a small flame in her palm, moving it closer.

"Ow," she hissed, pulling her arm back. Korra had moved the flame too close and brushed it against the engineer's jacket.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, snuffing out the flame in her palm. "I was just trying to help." Korra rolled up the sleeve of Asami's jacket, checking her pale skin for a burn mark. The engineer brushed her arm away, before pushing the sleeved back down.

"I _know,_ " Asami answered with bite. Korra nodded once, lowering her eyes. "This is fire proof. I'm fine." she added.

Korra huffed, rubbing her hands over her face. Asami reached her arm back into her pack and let out a light cry of happiness when she found her flashlight. Flicking it on, she set it down on the ground, casting the light at the top of the rock teepee. A moment later, she reached into her pack and pulled out a blanket. "Can we talk about it?" the Avatar asked.

Asami flicked the blanket up in the air, before snapping it out. Korra jumped at the sound, watching as the engineer covered herself with the blanket. Sighing and placing her hands into her lap, Asami looked over at the darker girl with a slight raised eyebrow. "This isn't exactly the time to talk about it. Let's just focus on getting her a safe place to stay in the city."

With that, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and rolled onto her side, presenting her back to Korra. The Avatar ran a hand through her hair before nodding twice. "Thank you for helping."

"You're welcome," came a curt reply.

"Good night, Asami," Korra said gently. She pulled her pack over and laid it horizontally on the ground. After pressing her hand into it, finding the softest spot, she laid down, with her back towards the engineer. Crossing her arms over her chest, she breathed deeply before closing her eyes. The Avatar held her breath, listening to the raven-haired woman's steady breathing, her heart sinking with her steady pulse.

Korra couldn't help but smile when she heard Asami breathe, "Good night, Korra."

_She didn't call me Avatar Korra. That's a good sign. It's something._

\---

Asami shifted before opening her eyes. She yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes before sitting up. Peering out the doorway of the rock teepee, she noticed Kuvira lying by the now extinguished camp fire. She was sleeping in the fetal position, her hands used as a pillow, her feet curled up underneath her.

The engineer shook when she felt a gentle breeze flow in through the door opening. Next to her, Korra was still sound asleep, her head propped up on her pack. Her bare arms weren't covered in goose bumps, unlike the ones sprouting up underneath her jacket.

The wind outside of the rock teepee was much stronger, blowing the foliage in the area, causing a loud rustling sound to fill the silence. Kuvira shook violently against the gusts of wind. Asami glanced at the blue clothing the fugitive was wearing, noting that they were a tad bit too big, and were a bit threadbare in a few places. The engineer had mention to Korra that she needed to go shopping for new clothing numerous times, and whenever the Avatar returned from the trip she'd be sporting new workout gear.

The engineer sigh hard before crawling out of the rock teepee and waking over to Kuvira. With every step, she worked on the buttons of her jacket unfastening them with shaking hands. Slipping it off of her shoulders, Asami held her breath and lightened her footsteps, walking cautiously towards the sleeping woman.

Kuvira's eyes snapped open and she sat up. Startled, Asami gasped and jumped back, causing herself to trip over a log from their campfire and landing, hard, on her backside. Her face turned a bright red as she scrambled to her feet. "What's going on?" Kuvira asked sleepily. "I heard your footsteps." Another gust of wind picked up and blew her disheveled hair around.

Asami didn't answer. Instead, she walked behind the metalbender and crouched down onto her knees. She gently grabbed Kuvira' right arm and slipped it through the jacket sleeve. Once it was fully rested on her shoulder, she moved onto her left arm. As soon as she jacket was placed fully onto her shoulders, Asami shuffled to the front and buttoned up the jacket.

Kuvira watched silently, her head cocked to the side as Asami placed the jacket on her. The minute the last button had been fastened, the two locked eyes. The wind died down, causing a soft stillness to the area. Kuvira furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes. In return, Asami clenched her jaw, regarding the metal bender with a raised eyebrow of her own. As the seconds passed, the two continue to stare at each other, their gaze turning harsher and harsher.

The two women jumped as an animal in the brush let out a loud growl. The engineer cleared her throat, tearing her gaze away from the fugitive, brushing a lock of her dark brown hair behind her ear. Kuvira swallowed hard, glancing down at her clothing, running a finger along a threadbare patch. Asami turned back towards her and sighed hard, catching the metalbenders attention. When they locked eyes once more, Kuvira faltered. The engineer's green eyes were softened with exhaustion and what looked to be a slight glimmer of compassion. Before she could comment on it, the glimmer faded.

"Good night," Asami simply said before making her way back to the teepee. Kuvira watched her leave before glancing down at the jacket, the tips of her fingers sticking out of the sleeves. She half-smiled before lying back down and dozing off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Asami woke up with the smell of burning wood filling her nose. She yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes before sitting up. Peering out the doorway of the rock teepee, she noticed Korra and Kuvira sitting around the small campfire, poking at the wood with sticks and talking quietly.

She scrambled to her feet, ducking low and emerging from the rock teepee “Are you nuts?” she asked; her voice scratchy and gravely. Kuvira glanced up at her, quickly working on the buttons of the Future Industries jacket she was wearing. Slipping her arms out of the sleeves, she held out the jacket towards the engineer, who took it with a nod of her head.  
Asami wore a red tank top underneath the Future Industries red and black jacket. Her pale arms glowed brightly underneath the sun. Kuvira was surprised that the girl was paler than her, especially since she hadn’t been out in the sunlight for a close to a year, at this point.

“No, we’re hungry,” Korra answered, her lips threatening to shift into a sneer. Asami rolled her eyes. It was known in the Krew that the Avatar hated mornings, and she was much snippier when she would wake up early and not having anything to eat.

“A train could be passing by,” the engineer hissed. “Someone could see the smoke in the sky.” She bent down and picked up a handful of sand, tossing it onto the flames. She watched as it died down a bit. “How could you two not think about this?”

“It’s hard to think when you’re hungry,” Kuvira answered, rubbing her eyes. She yawned loudly before resting her elbows on her knees. She tossed her stick into the fire pit, entranced as the flames engulfed the dry wood. 

“So why didn’t you make anything?” Asami asked.

“The food is in your pack,” Korra mumbled.

Kuvira looked up from the fire, her olive green eyes locking on the engineer. She brushed a stray lock of hair off of her cheek with her shoulder. “We didn’t want to wake you.”  
Asami glanced back and forth in between the two of them before ducking back into the rock teepee. She rummaged around her bag before pulling out the smaller pack that held their non-perishable foods. It was a line from Future Industries that was to be due out in stores in the next few months. A few of the food items only needed to have water added to it to make it ready to eat. She was able to snatch a few prototypes before leaving.

The engineer re-appeared out of the teepee with the pack of food underneath her arm and three water bottles. She passed one to Korra before tossing the other in Kuvira’s direction. The metelbaneder blinked in reaction, but raising her hand and catching the water bottle with ease. “What were you talking about?”

“Disguises.” Korra cleared her throat. She uncapped her water bottle and took a long sip. She wiped the excess off of her chin with the back of her hand as Asami passed out the small packs of food. “Kuvira and I already have some. Now it’s your turn.” She frowned, reading the instructions on the back of the brown package.

“Why would I need a disguise?” Asami wondered. She ripped open the brown pack, poured a little bit of water in, and then refastened the package. The minute it closed, the bag popped and fizzed, puffing up like a balloon. Korra and Kuvira watched in fascination as steam started to pour out from a small opening. A few moments later, the bag deflated. Asami re-opened the bag and started to eat the eggs and sausage from the inside with the fork that came with her food pack.

“Asami, you came up with this?” Korra gasped.

“Well, when I found out about the number of people in…her army,” Asami started, titling her head to the side in Kuvira’s direction, “I didn’t think soldiers would get enough nutrition. So, Satopacks,” she concluded. The Avatar and the metalbender glanced at each other before adding the water to their food packs. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Pretty soon word is going to get out across the nations that Kuvira is on the run with the Avatar,” Korra mumbled around a mouthful of food. Kuvira watched her, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she shoveled more food in her mouth. “Then, you just so happen to disappear around the same time?”

“I could be away on business.” Asam shrugged, pushing a forkful of food past her red lips.

“To a messed up Earth Kingdom transitioning from monarchy to separate states that are still dealing with looters, vandalism, and pure chaos?” Kuvira pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

The engineer paused mid-chew, looking sharply at the metal bender. She exhaled through her nose, before continuing to eat her food. After swallowing and taking a long sip of water, before slowly inhaling. “I’m sure I could spin it some way,” she finally answered.

“Face it, Asami. We have to lay low right now, and this will be the only way,” Korra said gently. She then turned towards Kuvira, pointing at her clothing with her fork. “People have already seen you in Earth Nation gear but if we keep her mole covered up, she keeps wearing those fake glasses, and maybe change one or more other things, then she’ll be fine.”

“What about you?” Asami wondered.

“I blend in fine,” Korra grunted. “Just trust me on that one.” The engineer peered closely at the Avatar, noting her discomfort. The darker girl had pushed her empty snack pack to the side. She began to bounce her right leg up and down. Kuvira had noticed her change in disposition, but remained quiet, continuing to eat her food.

_Help._

Kuvira frowned, before looking over her shoulder towards the forest on the other side of the railroad tracks. The leaves rustled, but no wind was blowing. The intensity from the sun caused her to begin to sweat. A drop slid down her forehead and into her eye, burning with intensity. She flinched, and wiped at her eye before returning her gaze to the forest. Everything was still.

“Okay, what’s your plan for me?” Asami asked.

Korra gulped loudly. She snuck a quick glance over towards Kuvira, who shook her head and took sudden interest in a bug that crawled along the cracked ground. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Try me.”

“Well, changing your clothes will be simple, but we need something drastic.” Korra cupped her hands together, resting her elbows on her knees. She pressed her lips against her knuckles, and remained silent. As the moments passed, Kuvira grew bored of watching the bug before looking up at the Avatar. Korra locked eyes with her and raised her eyebrows high.

The metalbender rolled her eyes before clearing her throat, catching Asami’s attention. “You’re going to have to tone down your makeup a bit,” she muttered. “People in the Earth Kingdom don’t follow the same makeup styles as those from the Fire Nation.” Kuvira looked over at Korra with a raised eyebrow before shoving a forkful of food into her mouth.  
Asami looked in between the two of them, noting their eyes narrowing as they were caught in a staring contest. “Someone say it,” she ordered, causing the two benders to jump in their seats.

Korra breathed hard, slowly shaking her head. She cleared her throat twice before looking at the engineer with her bright blue eyes, filled to the brim with discomfort. “I think you should cut your hair.”

The engineer threw her fork and snack pack into the fire. Kuvira’s eyebrows rose in shock at the fast reaction. The pale girl shook violently, her green eyes sharp in a glare. Her lower lip trembled. “No,” she said firmly. Her voice cracked. A tear clung to the edge of her eyelashes. “It’s the last thing I have of her. I won’t let you,” she sobbed. As a tear slid down her cheek, she turned and ran back into the rock teepee.

Korra moved to stand up, but paused when Kuvira reached out and grabbed her by the elbow. The Avatar shrugged and motioned toward the rock teepee, nodding once. Kuvira cleared her throat, and walked towards the shelter, stopping to pick up the Future Industries jacket the engineer had dropped when she fled.

Stopping at the entrance of the teepee, she crouched down, peering through the doorway. Asami sat with her back to the entrance, sniffling and running a comb through her long hair. Kuvira crouched low and shuffled into the shelter. The engineer paused when she heard the dirt shifting. “Korra, I just want to be alone right now,” she snapped.

“I’m not Korra,” Kuvira murmured. Asami glanced over her shoulder, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, before scoffing and returning to her grooming. The metalbender walked up behind her, taking a seat on the ground. She folded up the jacket and placed it next to the engineer on the cool ground. “I understand what you’re going through.”

“How?” Asami slammed her comb onto the ground before turning, her green eyes blazing. The redness from her tears caused her green eyes to stand out even more.

Kuvira pointed to her cheek, right on her cheekbone to where her beauty mark rested underneath her eye. “I have the same birth mark as my own mother.” The minute the sentence left her mouth, Asami physically deflated. “I always hated it when I was younger. I was teased all of the time for not being clean enough, always missing a spot on my face.” She traced a finger on the ground through the dirt, making various swirls and shapes. “The kids would say we were too poor to own any soap.” She swallowed against the lump that rose in her throat, her breathing began to shake. “Then, when they left, looking in the mirror was the only thing I had of my parents. While I did harbor a lot of pain, confusion, and resentment towards them, they were my parents for eight years. Now, this mole is all I have left of her.”

Asami remained silent, picking up the comb, brushing it through her long raven locks once more. She watched the metalbender with a new intensity as her tears still slid down her cheeks. “When Korra helped me leave Air Temple Island to sneak into your place of residence, I cried when they covered up my mole with makeup,” she admitted. “I didn’t look like myself and I didn’t feel like myself.” Kuvira bit her bottom lip. “Most importantly, I didn’t look like my mother anymore. At that point, I felt like she was gone for good.”  
“I still have a family picture from when I was six,” the engineer blurted out. Her eyes widened as she gasped in shock at her admission. She slowly shook her head, looking off at one of the rock walls in disbelief.

“Then, that is something you can hold onto,” Kuvira said gently. “Hair always grows back. It’ll be hard to deal with at first, but you still have something physical to hold onto.” She reached a hand out, shaking, moving it towards the engineers shoulder. She paused before placing it back into her lap. Instead, she leaned forward and pushed the jacket even closer towards her. “That’s just my two cents.”

Asami slowly dropped her hand, placing her comb onto her jacket. She turned around and faced the metalbender. Her dark locks fell over one eye, a few strands sticking to her forehead from the humidity and heat. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” Kuvira answered. The muscles in her right cheek twitched, tugging at the corner of her lips, trying to push out a smile. The two sat in silence, glancing at each other other, breathing calmly. 

“I need to ask you something,” Asami muttered. “It’s about Korra-”

“Asami, Kuvira, come here! Quick!” the Avatar shouted, her voice echoing around the rock teepee. The two woman got to their feet in an instant, crouching low as they stepped out of the shelter. Kuvira winced and shielded her eyes against the bright sun as she followed the Avatar’s voice across the train tracks over to the forest.

“Look,” Korra whispered, pulling a few branches out of the way. Asami and Kuvira stepped forward, looking into the foliage. A little girl wearing tattered green clothes, barefoot and her hair a mess, looked up at the two of them with her large green eyes swimming with tears. She swayed on her feet, exhaustion tugging at her eyelids. “She must have left Ba Sing Se, looking for help,” the Avatar muttered. “She doesn’t look to be more than three, four maybe.”

“I knew I wasn’t making that up,” Kuvira whispered.

“What do we do?” the Avatar questioned.

“We can’t take her with us,” Asami said firmly. The darker girl and metalbender quickly turned in her direction, their hair whipping around and striking them in their faces. The engineer blinked rapidly, reaching up and tugging at her earlobe. “That would bring a lot of unwanted attention,” she pointed out. “Besides, how would it look to have three woman enter a city with a baby?”

“Toddler,” Korra corrected her. Kuvira crowned down low, making herself eye level to the little girl. She reached out and brushed a clump of mud off her the girl’s cheek. The child looked up at her with her green eyes, suddenly becoming calm, her crying ceased. Kuvira cupped the little girl’s cheek, marveling at its softness.

“We’re not leaving her,” Kuvira said. The little girl stretched her arms out, grabbing at air. The metalbender reached forward, wrapped her arms around the child, lifting her off the ground. The girl instantly relaxed in her arms, quickly dozing off.

“But-” Asami started. She slowly pulled her lips into a straight line when Kuvira turned in her direction, a harsh glare set upon her features. Her olive green eyes flashed dangerously. Korra lightly placed a hand on the engineer’s elbow. “Okay,” she said quietly.

Kuvira balanced the little girl on her hip, placing a hand on the back of the little girl’s head, pulling her close into her chest. 

“I’m _not_ abandoning her,” Kuvira said quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you were wondering about everyone's reaction back at Air Temple Island, it's coming in the next chapter. 
> 
> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	17. Chapter 17

“Kya,” Tenzin boomed, Rohan let out a whimper, covering his ears and burying his face into his mother’s chest. Pema began to gently rock him. “How long have you known she was here? How long have you been here? Why didn’t you tell any of us? You put my family in danger?” his face turned bright red.

“Tenzin, how do you expect me to answer your questions if you don’t stop to take a breath?” Kya asked while rolling her eyes. “Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” he shouted, slamming a hand onto the table. Su jumped at the sound while Rohan burst into fresh tears. Pema placed light kisses on his cheek before carrying him out of the room. “You brought a terrorist into my family’s home-”

“They’re my family too, Tenzin,” she snapped. Kya clicked her tongue before crossing her arms over her chest. “This isn’t one of my ‘loopy adventures’ or whatever it is you call it. I trust Korra and I trust her judgment, both as the Avatar and as a person. I believe she’s doing the right thing.” Tenzin ran a hand over his jaw, breathing hard through his nose. “Besides, if Lin wants to arrest me, she can. I’ve been nothing but cooperative. I could have easily denied helping them.”

“What did Korra say?” Lin barked.

“Kuvira escaped from prison when the electrical problem occurred. She wants to show the people of the Earth Nation and Republic City that she has changed,” the water bender answered. She turned away from her brother before facing the chief of police, her eyes softening. “Her idea is to travel back and help with reconstruction, to show that she isn’t as bad as she was.”

Lin crossed her arms over her chest, the metal squeaking loudly as the pieces rubbed together. She faced her sister, raising an eyebrow. “You took her in when she was young. What do you think of this?”

Su tapped her chin, glancing at everyone in the room. Kya regarded her with a soft smile in a sea of harsh faces. Tenzin continued to seethe from his spot, the redness in his face circulating. “I’ve seen how driven she can be. When she wants to do something, she’ll go after it until it happens.”

Mako slowly entered the room, as quietly as he could. A few of the police force turned and faced him, the metal of their uniform creaking. Lin didn’t look in his direction. She just snapped her fingers and pointed to a spot at the table. He ducked his head, following the silent orders.

“If it weren’t Avatar Korra, then she would have found someone else to help her. Kuvira’s parents abandoning her…it’s messed her up, and while I did feel betrayed when she left Zaofu, you have to admit she reunited the Earth Kingdom. If we can’t trust the Avatar, then we’ll be hypocrites in following her in the past.”

“What do you know about all of this, detective?” Lin asked, catching Mako’s attention. He cleared his throat. “You’re under oath as a part of the police force. This isn’t about your friends, this about your job…your duty to the city.”

He sighed hard, lacing his hands together, pressing his forehead against the knuckles on his hands. “Korra is taking her to Ba Sing Se. She believes with the relief efforts Bolin and a few of the airbenders are working on, Kuvira will be able to slip in and help,” he admitted. “Then, when everything is moving towards the better, she’ll able to show that Kuvira really has good intentions.”

A radio pack on Saikhan’s hip rang loudly. He unclipped the radio and held it up to his ear, pressing a button on the side.. “Chief, it’s President Raiko,” he announced, holding the radio out to her.

“Tell him I’m busy,” she barked, waving a hand in the air. “Mako, you’re fired!” Lin snarled. He nodded, lowering his head. He pulled his badge out from the front pocket of his pants before placing it onto the table. She huffed before facing the five members of the police force. “Go to the train station and look at the people heading to Ba Sing Se; see how they’re dressed. Hop on the next train in the morning. Blend in, but don’t be obvious about it. Understood?”

“Yes, chief,” Saikhan nodded. He turned sharply on his heel before heading out of the room. The other police officers filed out behind him.

“Take Kya with you,” Lin ordered. The water bender raised her eyebrows, glancing at the chief of police with incredulity. Her blue eyes narrowed, causing a few crow’s feet to appear in the corners. She raise her chin, arching an eyebrow before following the men out of the room.

“Here,” Mako said as he stood up. The chief of police held out her hand and he placed his badge into her palm.

“Please, leave us,” she ordered. Su and Tenzin nodded once before filing out of the room. The closed the door upon their exit. Lin looked down at the badge in her hands before tossing it back to Mako, who caught it right before it struck him in the eye. “Keep it.”

“What?”

“I’m not firing you, I just said it to keep up the charade,” Lin answered. “The same with Kya. I’ve been trying to arrest her for years, but somehow she always finds a way to slip through the cracks. Korra is a lot like her.” She squeezed her eyes shut before shaking her head. “Spirits knows, the world _doesn’t_ need another one.”

“What are you talking about?” Mako demanded.

“Some things aren’t adding up, and I could use your help.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You are my best detective so I can trust you on this. Radio your brother in the Earth Kingdom and ask him to keep a look out for Korra and Kuvira, and then head to the station. I want you to look into the electrical problem.”

“But, chief, you’ll be working against the law,” he pointed out.

“It won’t be the first time.”

“Yes, chief.” He nodded before glancing down at the badge in his hand, running his thumb along the bumps and ridges of the surface. He used the sleeve of his shirt to polish the cool metal before placing it back into his pocket.

Mako walked over to the door and opened it, stepping to the side to allow the chief of police to walk through first. She regarded him with a raised eyebrow before jerking her head to the side. Mako stepped out of the room, Lin soon following.

As she marched down the hall, she spotted Su speaking quietly with Tenzin. He had seemed to relax a bit, the color draining from his cheeks, although he still stood upright and rigid. “Come on, we don’t have much time,” Lin said as she passed, grabbing Su by the arm and pulling her along.

“To do what?” Su wrenched her arm free.

“We need to find Korra in Ba Sing Se before my police force do, or the Dai Li, or anyone,” Lin explained. “If Kuvira is found to be hiding in the Earth Nation, then nothing good will come out of it.

“That’s fine, but we’re going to have to stop in Zaofu first,” her sister answered. “We’re going to need some help.”


	18. Chapter 18

“We should probably come up with new names with our disguises,” Korra suggested. She waterbent sweat off of her forehead and from her midsection. The green clothing was instantly seeping with perspiration the minute it brushed against her abdomen.

“Do you have any suggestions?” Asami asked.

“None whatsoever,” she sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it since we left this morning. Our names don’t really work,” she explained. “I mean, what name can you get out of Korra?”

“You’re…a bore-a?” Kuvira cracked. Asami snorted but quickly covered it up with a coughing fit. The metalbender couldn’t help but smile to herself as she continued to follow behind the two woman. She grimaced as Ayaka let out a loud scream directly into her ear.

“Is there any way you can make her stop crying?” Asami asked, rubbing her temples. The small group had been walking through the desert, following the train tracks for a long time. The little girl would fall asleep, waking up crying, scream her throat raw, and then fall back asleep. Kuvira would keep her cool by pouring little bits of her water onto the girl’s head. They had decided to walk along the edge of the forest for some shade and to have a place to hide just in a case a train would pass by. 

“I’ve been trying for the past…” Kuvira paused. “I don’t know how long, but for a long time.”

“Why don’t we stop here for right now,” Korra suggested. She dropped her pack and plopped to the ground. Her shirt was drenched with sweat and made a sucking sound as she pulled the material away from her body. “I should have packed better clothes,” she muttered. “It’s a good thing I’m not wearing my usual water tribe stuff.”

Asami sat down next to her, placing her pack on the ground before kicking off her shoes. She sighed in content when her feet touched the cool ground. Kuvira gently placed Ayaka onto a nearby log, and winced in pain as the little girl tightened her grip around the collar of her clothing. The minute she wrenched the girl’s hands off of her, she burst into a fresh set of tears.

“She needs to eat something,” Kuvira muttered. “Who knows how long she’s been out here.”

“Asami, will you pass me a snack pack?” Korra asked.

The engineer looked at her bag before shifting her gaze over to the Avatar. The bag was sitting in between them near their feet. Asami clenched her jaw before exhaling sharply through her nose. “My bag is right there, Korra,” she said lightly, tapping it with her foot.”

“I didn’t want to rummage around in it without your permission,” she answered with a shrug.

Silence instantly covered the four of them. Kuvira knew immediately that Korra had made a wrong word choice when Asami remained silent, the only sound coming from her was her smacking a spider ant off of her pant leg. The metalbender held her breath, waiting for words of retaliation from the engineer, and was happy to find that nothing came from it. 

“Well, thank you for asking,” Asami finally answered. Korra pulled the snackpack out of the pack and poured water in to the pack. Kuvira sat near the little girl, whispering soft and gentle words into her ear as she continued to cry. When the snack pack was finished, Korra pried open the bag and stuck the fork into the food. She held it out towards the little girl, who turned her head away.

“I know you’re hungry,” Korra said in a sweet voice. Asami looked over at her, watching as she carefully fed the child. Kuvira noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye. Her green eyes were filled with compassion, a gentle smile accompanied the look. 

Kuvira watched, her heart soaring with happiness as the child continued to eat. In between bites, she would use the sleeve of her clothing and wiped the snot and tears off of the little girl’s face. However, once the snackpack was empty, and the girl drank some water she started crying once more. 

“Let me try something,” Korra suggested. Kuvira moved out of the way, getting to her feet, as the Avatar crouched down low, making sure she was eye level with the child. On her left hand, she curled her pointer finger around her thumb. With her right hand, she curled her fingers into a fist, pressing the two ends together. “Watch this,” the Avatar prompted. The little girl watched as Korra pretended to pull her thumb apart and put it back together. The girl covered her eyes and let out a shriek. 

“Korra!” Asami and Kuvira shouted. They glanced at each other before glaring at the Avatar. 

“What?” she asked in confusion. “It works with Rohan all the time,” she said defensively. “Asami, why don’t you try?”

Asami’s eyebrows rose as she pointed towards herself. Korra nodded and pushed her forward. “You can do it. I know you can. You can do anything,” the Avatar said. Asami smiled warmly at the compliment, her green eyes softening. A few seconds later her smile disappeared and her green eyes turned a harsh shade of gold. 

The engineer stepped up to the child, who’s crying had quieted a bit, but not by much. Asami reached out and stiffly patted the girl on the head. The child looked up into Asami’s face, breathing deeply with tears streaming down her cheeks. Kuvira and Korra took a small step forward, waiting for Asami to make a move. They flinched, moving backward as the engineer abruptly got to her feet. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she announced in a monotone.

Kuvira sighed deeply before gently pushing Asami out of the way. She got onto her knees in front of the little girl. Taking a deep breath, she puffed her cheeks out and crossed her eyes, before holding onto her ears and pulling them out wide. The little girl instantly stopped crying, confusion evident on her face. She then reached out and pinched the metabender’s nose close, who sputtered letting go of the breath she was holding. The little girl burst into giggle as Kuvira rubbed the tip of her reddening nose.

“What?” Korra exclaimed. 

“How?” Asami wondered.

“Don’t ask,” Kuvira muttered. She reached out and gently placed her hands on the girl’s cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumbs. “What’s your name?”

“Ayaka,” the child whispered.

“Well, Akaya, it’s nice to meet you,” Kuvira said. She held out her right hand. Ayaka sniffed, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands, before placing her small hand into Kuvira’s. The earthbender shook it gently before scooping the little girl into her arms. “I’m…” Kuvira trailed off. She looked up at the bright sky in through, her lips moving silently as she shuffled through various names. “Rika,” she announced.

“Rika?” Korra repeated. Asami slapped her on the arm before shushing her.

“These are my…friends,” she said slowly, looking Korra’s and Asami’s direction. The engineer raised an eyebrow before crossing her arms over her chest. Korra took a small step forward and offered the little girl a gentle smile. “…Ami and…and…”

“Rora,” Korra answered. Asami slapped herself on the forehead as Kuvira looked at her dumbfounded. “What?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” Kuvira returned her attention to the little girl. “Why are you out here all alone?”

“I was chased,” she answered, her voice raspy from all of the screaming and crying. “My mommy said…when chased…to run…so I did.” Her eyes began to well up with more tears.

“Where is your mommy?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you have a daddy?” Korra wondered.

“Or any brothers and sisters?” Asami asked. Her voice wasn’t as high or as patient as the two benders. She frowned, biting the inside of her cheek. “Maybe an uncle or a…auntie,” she said, wincing at the cute tone she had tried to take. 

“No. It was just me and mommy,” Ayaka answered, snuggling deeper into Kuvira’s chest. 

“Well, we’re heading to Ba Sing Se ourselves, so how would you like to come with us?” the metalbender asked, her voice low and soft. Ayaka’s eyelids began to close. She nodded before drifting off to sleep once more. “Okay, she’s asleep. We should keep out voices down so we don’t wake her up. She probably needs it more than we do.”

“So, what now?” Asami wondered. She bent down and picked up her pack, slipping it onto her shoulders. She tugged on her ponytail, pulling it free from the space between her back and the bag. “We continue to follow the train tracks?”

“A split in the road will be coming up soon,” Kuvira answered as she peered out across the desert. “If I remember correctly, there is no sign so we’re going to have to choose a direction.”

“You don’t remember which way it is to get there?” Korra asked.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Ba Sing Se.”

“Korra you decide,” Asami suggested. 

“Why me?” 

“You’re the Avatar,” she answered, lifting one shoulder. “You seem to know what to do.”

“Not necessarily.” Korra shook her head. She slowly clenched her lower jaw. “I just go with what I think is right.”

“So what you think is right is having us walk in the desert with our rations of food and water lowering by day, until we strike land?” Asami pressed.

“No,” Korra said firmly. Ayaka shifted in Kuvira’s arms. The Avatar covered her mouth her hand, watching as the young child fell back asleep. She cleared her throat and spoke quieter, her words hissing past her lips. “What I think is right is we continue on into Ba Sing Se to get Kuvira someplace safe and try to restore order in the Earth Kingdom.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“If given a proper notification, we could be taking an airship instead of sweating to death in this heat,” Asami answered. “However, we’ll just have to make due with what we have.”  
“With all due respect, no one forced you on this trip.”

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore,” Kuvira snapped in a harsh whisper. Asami and Korra looked at the earthbender, who was rocking back and forth, rubbing Ayaka’s back. She glared at the two of them before stomping her foot into the ground. Four pieces of rock sprouted from beneath their feet, locking them in place around their ankles. “You’re polite arguing is getting on my nerves, if you can even call it that. Whatever it is you two have to say, just say it,” she demanded.

“You know I can easily break out of this,” Korra pointed out.

“Do it, and I’ll crush your ankles,” Kuvira answered.

The Avatar bit her bottom lip before turning back towards Asami, who was staring at her strangely. “She could actually do it, and I don’t know how to heal bone,” the Avatar answered.

Asami nodded before looking in Kuvira’s direction. “You want us to talk? Fine. Are you in love with Korra?”

Kuvira’s eyes widened. She gasped in shock and quickly tightened her arms around Ayaka as she began to slip down her chest.


	19. Chapter 19

Kuvira shifted her attention to the sleeping child in her arms. She grunted before pushing Ayaka back up into a comfortable position, distributing her weight in her arms. Asami waited patiently for an answer, her arm crossed over her chest, and her head cocked to the side. Her green eyes pierced the side of the metalbender’s face, burning holes. Korra’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped in shock.

Kuvira cleared her throat, looking over at the engineer, her jaw firm. She forced herself to keep her voice calm and stead. “No, am I not,” Kuvira said firmly. Her made the slightest twitch, the muscles in her jaw trembled as she clenched it tight, holding her breath.

Asami looked over at the Avatar, reaching out and pushing her jaw closed with two fingers. Korra blinked before flushing brightly, rubbing the back of her neck. Kuvira silently exhaled before rolling her shoulders back. “My feelings are irrelevant at the moment. You two must converse and get past this disagreement.”

Korra looked over at Kuvira before glancing at Asami, shrugging and raising an eyebrow. The engineer simply scowled and looked away, clenching her lower jaw. Korra took a deep breath, before gesturing in the engineer’s direction.

“Please, just tell me what’s wrong.”

Asami looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “If you don’t understand, then I won’t tell you.”

Kuvira closed her eyes and shook her head. The engineer was one of the last few people she'd expect to use that passive-aggressive statement. Even though she hadn't known her for so long, the metalbender always regarded the woman to be highly intelligent, in control of her feelings, and well aware of any situation. If it weren't for her, the group would have probably run out of food and water at this point. She had to admit, inventing a way to travel with packs of food that only needed water to heat up, was very impessive.

“…That makes no sense,” Korra shouted.

“This whole thing doesn’t make sense!”

The Avatar groaned, angrily running her hands through her hair. “What doesn’t make sense is that you say you want to talk about things later, and then when I try to talk about things you keep pushing me away.” She threw her hands up in the air. “It’s not like I haven’t been trying,” she added. Asami gave her a hard look. Korra cleared her throat before crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you want me to apologize? Because I will. I’ve been wanting to, but you keep pushing me away. It’s like you don’t want to be around me anymore.”

“That’s not it, Korra,” Asami said quietly. The Avatar blanched at the calm response. The engineer reached up and brushed her bangs out of her face, exhaling slowly through her nose. She shook her head before finally locking eyes with the Avatar. “When we first met, you hated me,” she declared.

Korra rapidly shook her head. “Strong dislike. I wouldn’t say hate.”

Asami waved a hand in the air, dismissing the Avatar’s words. “Then, we became acquaintances as we fought together to take down my father and the Equalists. That would be the best way to describe it, I think.”

“Okay, that makes sense.”

“And then, when you were dealing with the Civil War in your tribe, I offered to aid you in whatever you needed,” she reminded her. Korra couldn’t help but deflate a bit as the engineer’s words got quieter. Her green eyes turned misty. “I thought at least, at that point we were friends.”

“I would say so,” Korra muttered.

Asami shrugged, lowering her eyes to the ground. “Korra, when we first met, I didn’t want to be friends with you because I was dating Mako,” she admitted. “I’ve never had a friend who was a girl before. I just thought we’d fit.” She swallowed hard, her voice shaking. “And then, after Harmoinc Convergence, we became really close and I saw you as my best friend. I told you a lot of things I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone else.”

A tear slid down the engineer’s cheek. Kuvira quickly glanced away, tightening her arms around the sleeping child. Crying always made the metalbender uncomfortable. In fact, she wasn’t too sure when the last time she cried was, of her own choosing. 

“I know you leave in the middle of the night,” Asami whispered. “I just thought it was because you liked being at the temple, but now I know the real reason.” She briefly shifted her gaze over to Kuvira. “It doesn’t matter what this is,” she said, pointing in between herself and Korra, “or what we are now. First and foremost, you’re as my best friend. Friends tell each other everything. You used to tell me everything, and yet you kept this from me. You made me feel like I couldn’t be trusted.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “You lied to me, Korra.”

“When I said I wanted to move in with you, I meant it,” Korra answered, her voice filled with pain. 

Kuvira turned around. It was hard to face one person crying, but two people would have made her feel worse. Not only that, but she felt like she was intruding on the conversation. She glanced at the horizon, peering into the distance. Something flashed brightly. Kuvira looked over her shoulder at the two women before squaring her shoulders and marching forward. 

“I just wasn’t sure how you'd react if I brought Kuvra with me as well,” the Avatar continued. “Lin was getting closer and I panicked. Mako even tried to talk me out of it but I wouldn’t listen.”

Asami reached up and wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eyelids. The tip of her nose started to turn red. Korra reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. She winced as she leaned forward, her ankles were still locked to the ground, passing the cloth to the engineer. “If you told me, I’m sure I would have been able to deal with it.”

“Asami!”

“Okay, maybe I would have shut down the idea.”

“Shut down the id-Asami! You can’t even say her name!”

The engineer dabbed at the corners of her eyes, checking the cloth to make sure none of her makeup had stained it, before passing it back to Korra. The Avatar received the cloth but kept her hand locked around Asami’s. “…It still hurts,” she admitted. "He's only been gone for eight months now, but still..."

“I understand, that’s why I was hoping I could warm you up to the idea.” Korra wobbled as the rock that held their ankles in place formed back into the ground. She stepped forward and pulled the engineer into her arms, burying her face into her neck, running a hand through her raven hair. “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel like I couldn’t trust you. I’m sorry.”

“I accept your apology,” Asami answered. She wrapped her arms around Korra’s neck, burying her face into the Avatar’s shoulder.

Kuvira sped-walked up to the couple; Korra lifted her head out of their embrace and frowned at the metalbender, realizing that she had just disappeared. Kuvira breathed hard as she bent over, rubbing the back of her calf. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but the split in the road is close,” she announced. She pointed off in the distance at the one flashing spot. “They must have recently posted a sign. We have to go to the right.”

“Why would they post a sign now?” Korra questioned.

“Ba Sing Se is one of the cities that got thrown into chaos when the Queen was overthrown,” Kuvira answered. “It is probably to make sure travelers knew where they were going,

“Well, now we know where we’re going.”

\---

Hours later, the small group set up camp. Korra and Asami were seated on one side of the fire. The engineer was snuggled deep into the Avatar’s side, her eyes fixated on the flames. She held a long stick, poking at the burning wood, trying to stoke the flames higher.

Kuvira rocked Ayaka to sleep after feeding her another snackpack. She gently placed the sleeping child onto the ground next to her. She then stretched her legs out so that Ayaka could use her upper thigh as a pillow.

“And then sometime tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be in Ba Sing Se,” Kuvira muttered, her eyelids drooping. She yawned loudly before leaning backward to lie down. She carefully picked up Ayaka and placed her up her chest, wrapping an arm around her, burying her nose in her dark hair.

“Sounds good,” Korra agreed. She stood up, stretching her arms and legs before heading into the rock shelter. She paused at the opening, poking her head back out. “Are you coming, Asami?”

“In a minute.”

Goodnight,” she whispered.

“Goodnight, Korra,” Asami answered. She poked at the burning hood with a stick, jumping back when an ember popped. Kuvira lifted her head, looking over at the engineer with a frown. Asami scooted further away from the fire, wrapping her arms around her knees.

“Night, Kuvira,” the Avatar shouted. Kuvira felt her cheeks burn. A gust of wind picked up and fanned the flames, blowing them in her direction.

_It’s just the fire, Kuvira. It’s nothing._

“Night,” the metalbender called out. Ayaka made a soft whimpering noise in her sleep before curling up into Kuvira’s side. Asami instantly relaxed, slowly dropping her arms from around her legs. She cleared her throat quietly, tapping the ground with the palms of her hands, before finally getting to her feet.

“Well…goodnight,” Asami said softly. Kuvira couldn’t help but glance down, to see if the child had woken up. Ayaka was sleeping soundly, her thumb tucked tightly between her lips, her fingers curled up around her nose. The metalbender brushed her hair out of her face, before nodding once.

“Night.”

The engineer nodded in return before heading towards the rock shelter. She crouched low, and disappeared into the shadows. Kuvira yawned once more before lying back down. While she was tired, her eyes burning with exhaustion, she couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep. While staring up at the glittery night sky, her mind raced, too active for her to focus on one thought.

“Hey,” Asami said quietly, poking her head back out of the shelter. She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Korra when a loud snore broke through the quite night air. Kuvira bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. The engineer brushed back some of her hair. “There’s enough room inside for all of us,” she offered, lifting a shoulder.

A chill swept through. Kuvira forced herself to remain stoic as muscles began to twitch. Ayaka moved even closer to the metalbender, curling her feet up underneath her. “I’m fine. Thank you.” She shook her head. “Goodnight.” She closed her eyes turning onto her side, resting her head against her arm, using her bicep muscle as a pillow.

Kuvira slowly opened her eyes when she heard footsteps walking towards her. Asami unbuttoned her jack, slipping it off of her shoulders, holding it out the metalbender. Kuvira looked up at her in confusion as she received the item of clothing. 

“…so you don’t freeze,” Asami explained. She rubbed her arms while getting up to her feet. Kuvira quickly slipped on the jacket before butting up the front. The two gave each other a brief nod. As Asami turned to head back to the shelter, Kuvira couldn’t help but notice the goosebumps that appeared on her pale arms.

“What about you?” she asked.

Asami paused. She looked back at Kuvira, smiling, her green eyes filled with a spark. “That’s what Korra’s for,” she answered, jerking her chin in the Ayaka’s direction. “And to her, that’s what you’re for.” Kuvira quickly unbuttoned the jacket before picking up the sleeping child, and holding her close to her body. She then wrapped the jacket around her cold body. “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. :) [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	20. Chapter 20

Kuvira breathed deeply as she awoke. She winced as she sat up, lightly poking the side of her neck. _‘That’ll make a great sunburn’_ she thought, stretching her arms over her head. Glancing over to her right, she frowned, noticing the empty space. “Where…,” she muttered. Looking up she spotted Asami sitting across from her, pouring over a textbook on the history of BaSingSe, her jacket punched up behind her back, acting as a cushion as she leaned up against their rock shelter. “Where’s Ayaka?” she asked. Asami looked up from her text, and raised an eyebrow. “Where is she?” Kuvira demanded.

“Korra took her to use the bathroom, don’t worry.” Asami closed the textbook before slipping it into her pack. She pointed over her shoulder towards the giant rock that stood out in the middle of the desert. “They’re over there. They didn’t want to wake you.”

Kuvira leaned over to see where Asami was pointing, groaning as her neck muscles twitched, and sore from sleeping on it at the wrong angle. “How long was I out?” she asked.  
“A few hours,” she answered. Asami pulled out a snackpack and poured some water in before passing it to Kuvira along with a plastic fork. “We’re almost in the city. We should be able to get their by sunset.” Earlier that morning, the small group continued on their trek towards BaSingSe. Around the early afternoon, they had stopped so that Kuvira could rest. What started as a quick nap, turned into a deep slumber.

“Thank you,” Kuvira said as she received her food. “I guess I haven’t really gotten used to being outside again after being indoors for eight months.” She chewed her food, focusing on the sounds of the fork scraping against the inside of the snackpack to fill the silence. “Not that I…didn’t deserve it…” she mumbled when Asami shot her a pointed look.

The engineer looked over her shoulder, glancing over at the giant rock before facing forward once more. She breathed in deeply, patting her hands against her knees. Clearing her throat, she caught Kuvira’s attention. Crossing her arms over her chest, Asami tilted her head to the side. “Why did you lie earlier?” she asked.

Kuvira’s eyebrows furrowed as she continued to eat her food. She placed a hand over her mouth, and pushed the bits of food around in her mouth, moving it towards her right cheek.. “Lie about what?” she asked, before continuing to chew.

“When I asked you if you were in love with Korra,” Asami pressed. “You lied. Why did you lie?”

The metalbender stopped chewing, her right cheek puffed up with food. She pulled her lower lip into a tight line, staring straight ahead out into the vast desert, refusing to look over at the engineer. She forced herself to swallow the food, which she found difficult to do with her suddenly dry throat. After a small coughing fit, she placed her empty snackpack onto the ground next to her. “I…I didn’t-”

“Don’t,” Asami said gently. She scoffed, slightly shaking her head. “I’m the CEO in a male dominated world,” she reminded her. “I know how to act stoic and in control too.”  
She groaned and slapped herself on her forehead, slowly running it over her face. Before she could respond, Ayaka ran up and dumped herself into Kuvira’s lap, snuggling into her chest. The metalbender patted her lightly on the head, before moving to stand. Asami watched her with a raised eyebrow before greeting Korra when she returned to their camp.

“Is everyone ready to go?” Korra asked. She stomped her foot onto the ground, sending the rock shelter back into the Earth. She made sure the top layer was smooth and undisturbed. Asami slipped on her jacket before picking up her pack and placing it onto her shoulders.

“Are we almost there?” Ayaka asked. She lifted her head and stared up at Kuvira, her wide green eyes filled with hope and wonder.

“Are we?” Asami asked. Kuvira held the child close to her body as she moved to stand up. Akaya turned in her arms and rested her head along the metalbender’s collarbone, playing with the collar of her shirt.

“We’re very close,” she announced. “Soon we’ll reach the ruins of the Outer Wall.”

“That’s where Azula used a massive drill to puncture the wall and claim the city in the name of the Fire Nation and Fire Lord Ozai during the Hundred Year War,” Korra announced. Asami and Kuvira looked at her in a mix of shock and amusement. “Yes, I read,” she said dryly. “Besides, I couldn’t sleep last night and Asami’s textbook was the only thing that bored me enough to sleep.” She wiped her forehead free of sweat before turning on her heel. She lifted a finger in the air and marched forward. “Well then, let’s get to it.”  


Hours later as the sun began to set, the small group of four arrived in BaSingSe. They hopped on a train from the inner ring up to the middle ring. The lower ring, to Kuvira’s surprise, was advancing further in the past few years she assisted the city. While there were many whom were still homeless and jobless, it wasn’t in too much disarray.  


A pit formed in the middle of her stomach when she spotted a ‘Great Uniter’ flier on one of the train station’s walls. She looked into her harsh, cold eyes, frowning at her stoic face. Reaching up, she ripped down the poster off of the wall, bunching it up in her hands and throwing it in a nearby trash can.

Once the group disembarked the train and entered the middle ring, Ayaka skipped up to a fountain that was erected in the middle of the Square. Kuvira quickly ran after her, fear rising up her spine as the little girl passed an older man sitting on the sidewalk. His clothes were tattered and torn, his hair unkempt. He reached out towards Ayaka when she was in close distance. Kuvira stormed up to the man and glared at him, growling low underneath her breath. He shrank backwards, muttering an apology.

“This city looks to be doing okay,” Korra commented.

“When I left, there were many things that still needed to be done,” Kuvira muttered. She grabbed Ayaka by the arm and pulled her out of the way as a cabbage merchant‘s cart rolled down the street at high speeds. The merchant chased after the car, yelling at everyone to get out of its way.

“It looks like King Wu is doing a fantastic job,” Asami added. “I’ll go get us some rooms for the night.” She pointed over to a hotel across the street around the fountain. Kuvira elected to stay outside and watch Ayaka when the child made it clear, by screaming, that she wanted to stay by the fountain.

“Welcome to BaSingSe’s Four Nations, how may I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked. Asami stepped forward, pulling her wallet out of her pocket. Korra stood next to her leaning against the counter. The woman glared at her and smacked her on the arm with a rolled up newspaper.

Korra jumped back, frowning, and rubbed the spot on her arm. Asami gently pushed her to the side before clearing her throat. “We would like two rooms please,” she answered with a polite smile.

The woman nodded before flipping open the book that sat on the counter. She picked up a stamp with her left hand, hovering over the book as she scanned the pages. “One,” Korra said. The woman looked over at her before clicking her tongue. She pushed the book to the side before pulling another one out from underneath the counter.  
Asami looked over at the Avatar as the woman began to flip through the pages. “Why one?” she asked.

“Why two?” Korra countered.

“For you and me,” she answered, pointing in between the two of them, “and then for Ayaka and…her.”

Korra smiled politely and held up a finger. She turned towards Asami and placed a hand on her shoulder. The woman pulled the blue book for two-room reservations back towards her and began to flip through the pages once more. Leaning forward, Korra turned her head to the side and dropped her voice. “Look, Kuvira has to stay under my watch. Just to make sure nothing happens.” She looked out at the doorway of the hotel where Kuvira was sitting on a bench. She watched as the little girl found interest in the fountain sitting in the middle of the city’s Square. “She can take one bed and we can take the other,” she said at regular volume.

The woman behind the counter snapped her fingers and moved to press the stamp onto a blank box. Korra reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. She shook her head, before smiling brightly. The woman looked over at Asami with a raised eyebrow. The engineer shot a quick glance over at the Avatar before nodding once. “Fine, she gets her own bed, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing-"

“Oh,” the woman interrupted. Asami and Korra looked at her, sharing a frown. The woman’s eyes glittered with happiness and understanding. Kuvira sighed loudly as she entered the lobby of the hotel, brushing her bangs out of her face.

“Hey, what’s taking so long?” she asked. Glancing over her shoulder, she checked to make sure Ayaka was still playing at the fountain. The little girl giggled happily when a turtle duck landed on the water’s surface, gently floating along the ripples.

“I understand now.” The woman smiled. Korra and Asami looked over at Kuvira, who stared back at them with raised eyebrows, before facing forward. The woman’s smile brightened as her eyes fell on Kuvira. The Avatar coughed loudly, her cheeks turning pink as she rubbed the back of her neck. Kuvira looked in between the three of them in confusion as Asami rapidly shook her head.

“No,” Asami said slowly. “I don’t think you do.”

“It’s none of my business what you do behind closed doors,” the woman answered. She stamped an empty box in the book for single rooms. Asami blinked as the woman closed the book with a loud snap. She placed two sets of keys onto the counter before plucking the cash out of Asami’s hand. “The Earth Nation prides itself on being progressive.”  


“No, ma’am,” Asami insisted. “You’re mistaken. We’re not-”

“Enjoy your stay,” the woman cheerfully greeted. She placed Asami’s change onto the counter before folding her hands together, placing them onto the counter. Korra quickly scooped up the three items before grabbing Asami by the elbow, who in turn was insisting that nothing was going on, and leading her away from the counter. Kuvira stepped out of the lobby and picked up Ayaka, before following the two of them up to their floor.

“Well, there’s a tabloid headline for you,” Asami muttered, crossing her arms over her chest: _“Sato Escapes to BaSingSe; Enjoys Three-day Weekend Threesome.”_

“The Earth Nation doesn’t print trash,” Kuvira said. Ayaka yawned loudly before squirming in Kuvira’s arms. The metalbender groaned as she received a kick to her abdomen. The young child whined, fighting against Kuvira’s grip. “We pride ourselves in distributing true and important news,” she muttered.

“And besides, you’re not Asami here, you’re Ami,” Korra reminded her, her blue eyes lit up in amusement.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” the engineer demanded.

“Hey, I can’t help it if the Avatar is loved by many.” Kuvira froze as Asami looked over at her. She quickly shifted Ayaka in her arms and began to rock back and forth, whispering an Earth Nation lullaby into her ear, stroking the back of her head. Asami plucked a set of keys from Korra’s hand before unlocking their hotel door.

Korra flicked on the light and tossed her pack by the side of the bed before jumping on top of it. She pulled her shoes off before leaning back, sighing happily as she relaxed on the soft sheets. 

“She gave us a room with one bed,” Kuvira commented. Ayaka continued to whimper in her arms. She removed her hand from the young girl’s hair to her back, lightly dragging her nails along her spine. “I’ll sleep on the floor,” she offered.

“No, it’s okay,” Asami muttered. Kuvira looked over at her, watching in silence as the engineer placed her pack on the floor by the dresser. She pulled her hair down from her ponytail, fluffing it up with her hands. She took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “It’s big enough for all of us. Ayaka needs some comfort and she’s basically attached to you so-” she was interrupted by a loud snore from Korra.

The metalbender and the engineer looked over at the sleeping Avatar. She was curled up on her left side, her arms tucked underneath the pillow. Asami walked over and shifted the sheets from underneath her girlfriend, before moving them up to her chin.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Kuvira said once Asami straightened. She began to rock back and forth, lightly bouncing the little girl in her arms.

“You’re welcome.”

“I’m not sure I understand, though. I thought you hated me-”

“I do,” Asami answered quickly. She then lifted one shoulder before shaking her head. “I did. Or, at least I thought I did…but I don’t know you enough to hate you,” she added. She slipped off her jacket before hanging it up in the room’s closet. Taking a seat on the end of the large bed, she made sure not to disturb the sleeping Avatar. “I do dislike you though,” she finished. Kuvira grunted before checking to see if Ayaka was asleep. The minute she felt the deep breaths on her neck she slipped the young child into the bed next to Korra. Pulling up the sheets, she tucked them underneath the girl’s chin. Kuvira ran a knuckle down the girl’s cheek before patting her lightly on the head.

Asami watched as Kuvira walked over towards the door, turning on the overhead light. The metalbender jerked her head, motioning for the engineer to come over. The raven-haired girl patted Korra’s sheet covered leg before getting up and crossing the room, her arms over her chest.

“Dislike me all you want, I can handle it,” Kuvira whispered. She raised a shoulder, her olive green eyes darkening with guilt. Asami watched as she lowered her head, chewing on her bottom lip. “I deserve it after what I did,” she added, “but why did you ask me about the nation’s background records?”  
“…Because I need your help,” Asami answered.

Kuvira rolled her eyes, sighing hard as she lifted her head. “So you say. What do you need my help with?” she demanded.

“I want to know if I have any family here.”


	21. Chapter 21

_"What's this for?" fifteen-year-old Kuvira grunted. She plucked the flower out of sixteen-year-old Baatar Jr's hands, twirling it around and inspecting it from every angle._

_"I just thought you'd like it," he answered with a shrug._

_"Junior and Kuvira sitting in a tree," eight-year-old Wei sang._

_"P-u-c-k-i-n-g," his twin, Wang, added while sticking a finger down his throat._

_"You spelled pucking, not puking," Baatar said with a laugh. Kuvira tightened her hand around the flower, slightly crushing it, but she didn't care. She exhaled sharply out of her nose, taking a step forward. Baatar stopped her, grabbing her by the elbow. Kuvira looked over at him with a raised eyebrow, her frown deepening. He smiled gently before "As annoying as they are, they don't mean anything."_

_"I know how to spell barfing," Wang shouted._

_Kuvira crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at the flower, her frown deepening. She wasn't too big on romantic gestures, mainly because she was often teased by the younger Beifong children. Many often held her in high regard, especially since she is the captain of the Metal Clan, so it was very uncommon to see her acting vulnerable. While she knew Baatar was right, she couldn't help but feel the ire swell in her stomach. She hated to be made to look like a fool, even as a joke._

_"Just be patient with them," Korra said with a shrug. Kuvira blinked and took a small step back. She could feel her cheeks warming as Korra took the flower out of her hands and tucked it behind her ear. "That flower looks good on you." She smiled brightly. Kuvira shyly looked down at the ground. "I know you like it, I just wish you'd show it more, the way you react to things when it's just us. You don't have to have a wall built up all the time, especially not around me."_

_"Thank you," she muttered. Kuvira placed a hand on Korra's shoulder before stepping closer, resting her head on her shoulder. "It was a nice gesture."_

_"Korra and Kuvira sitting in a tree," Wei chanted._

_"B-a-r-f-i-n-g!" Wang spelled. Kuvira turned them out, relaxing in Korra's embrace as she felt a light kiss to her forehead._

"Kuvira!"

Kuvira jumped awake. She opened her eyes, before shutting them tight against the bright light in her face. Sitting up, she blindly lashed her arm out. She turned when she felt her wrist caught in a tight grip. Kuvira opened her eyes and swiftly pulled her hand away when she noticed it resting next to Korra's cheek in her grip. "Hey, I didn't mean to startle you," Korra said gently.

"What's going on?" she muttered, her voice raspy.

"I thought something was wrong," Korra answered with a sigh of relief. Asami exited the bathroom, brushing her hair. She took a quick glance in the small mirror on the wall, dapping at the corner of her lips with her finger, before sitting down in an empty chair. "You were tossing and turning in your sleep. And you were turning red, I wasn't sure if you were getting sick or if you were too hot."

Asami cleared her throat. Kuvira felt her right eyebrow make the slightest twitch before shrugging. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"We ordered some breakfast." Korra picked up a few objects wrapped in plastic before tossing them up in to the air. Kuvira easily caught them. She placed a few of them into her lap before unwrapping one: a bagel with cream cheese and poppy seed. It wasn't something she liked to eat, after having been spoiled at the Beifong Estate in Zaofu, but she ate it as if it were the best thing on the planet. "I was going to give Ayaka a bath, before we head out."

Kuvira turned when she heard movement behind her. Ayaka was tightly holding onto a book of Earth Kingdom fairy tales. Kuvira quickly deduced that Korra had asked if the hotel had anything for the young child when they ordered the food. Ayaka crawled over to Kuvira and sat next to her, resting her head against her arm. "Head out where?" Kuvira asked.

"We need to find out of Prince Wu or any of the other airbenders are here," Korra answered. "That way, we will be able to find a place to-"

"Korra, maybe that's not such a good idea," Asami commented. She wrapped her long hair up into a ponytail, and then slipped her brush into her pack.

"Why not?"

"Maybe we can rest for a day. We've been traveling for a while now, and when will have the opportunity to get decent beds again? In a day or two, you can go and find Prince Wu or an airbender." Asami's eyes flicked over to Kuvira for the briefest of moments. "It wouldn't be such a good idea for you to take the rest of us with you if there's no guarantee that we can find a place for her to aid in the reconstruction."

"That's a good point." Korra tapped her chin in thought, nodding in agreement.

"Besides, I have some business to attend to myself tomorrow," she said lightly. Korra looked over at her in confusion. "Nothing too big, I thought about expand the company to the other nations, and now would be a good time to start," she explained, raising a shoulder. "I was hoping I could take her with me, as it is."

"Really?" Korra asked in shock. Kuvira's eyebrows rose as she continued to eat.

"She's knows her way around the Earth Kingdom, so I think it'd be beneficial," Asami said evenly.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." Korra turned towards Ayaka and held out her arms. She took a few steps forward. "Come on sweetie," she called softly.

"No!" Ayaka dropped the book she was holding onto the bed before turning and burying her face in Kuvira's lap, along with the food wrapped up in plastic.

"It's okay, honey," Kuvira said gently. She rubbed small circles on the child's back. Ayaka peeked up, her eyes wide, looking up at Kuvira, who nodded her head in Korra's direction. " _Rora_ -" she said with an eye roll, "will take care of you." Ayaka looked in between the two of them before reaching out and placing her small hand into Korra's palm. She hopped down from the bed and was led to the bathroom.

"It can be short for Aurora," Korra said defensively.

"It can be short for _stupid_ ," Kuvira snapped. Ayaka turned back around and faced Kuvira with wide eyes. "Go on," the earthbender said with a gently smile. Ayaka looked up at Korra, smiling shyly before fully stepping into the bathroom. Once the door closed and the water began to run, Kuvira turned and faced Asami. "I'm impressed. You're a good liar."

Asami half-smiled. "You would know, wouldn't you?" Kuvira shoved her mouthful of bagel, eager not to respond.

\---

"You're having me arrested?" Kya demanded the minute Lin, Su, and Mako exited Air Temple Island. The Chief of Police rolled her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest. With a jerk of her head, she motioned for Saikhan and the remaining members of the police force to head onto the ferry.

"If there's something I learned from being around you and Korra, it's that water tribe women can never sit still for too long," Lin muttered. "No, I'm not arresting you…not today anyway. I need your help."

"With what?"

"You and Korra are the only two people who have had interactions with Kuvira, so you're ion the loop. Take Su to my place and get her something to eat," Lin instructed. "I have a radio there. Have her call Zaofu and whomever else she needs to get in contact with." She turned and nodded towards Mako, who stood firm and gave her a small salute. "Change of plans: you and I will go to the police station and check for clues, or really anything we can find." Lin walked over to Su and gave her a light hug. "We'll meet you there as soon as we can."

As soon as the ferry docked, the large group of people split off into three: Kya and Su headed towards Lin's place of residence, a few of the remaining other members of the police force went to patrol the city, enforcing the curfew, while Lin and Mako headed towards the police station.

Lin forced her office door open with the wave of her hand. Turning on the lights she sauntered over to the filing cabinets in the room, pulling them open one by one. "What's with all of the papers?" Mako asked.

"Reports from the jail," she answered gruff. When she couldn't find the item she was looking for, she closed the drawer with a harsh slam. "Updates on the behaviors of the criminals, reports and spread sheets about any incidents, things like that." Over and over again she opened and drawer, searched around, and then slammed it shut. "Damn, her file isn't here. It's been moved."

"Wait a second." Mako pulled a paper free from the messy pile on Lin's desk. "This looks to be reports about the electrical system. "It has information here dating back to six months, around the time Kuvira was first put in jail."

Lin pushed the rest of the papers off of her desk. As they fell to the floor, she pushed her chair out of the way. Mako placed the paper he was looking at onto the table, smoothing it out with his hands. She gently pushed him out of the way, and glared down at the paper. "I can't read this."

"There seems to be electrical surges every other week," Mako muttered. Lin stepped to the side to allow him a better view at the paper. He peered closely at it, his nose almost touching the ink.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"I used to work at the Republic City Power Plant," he answered. "Back when I was a pro-bender, trying to gather money for a tournament entry fee." Mako looked up from the paper, rubbing the end of his nose. "You know, the one where Amon-"

"I remember," she snapped.

"I know how to read these graphs." He shrugged. "It was something I picked up while working there." Lifting the paper to the ceiling, her turned them sideways and held them directly underneath a light. "Interesting," he muttered.

"What is it?"

"Korra told me that Kuvira would have to go to the doctor and be healed every other week."

"That's right. Everyone in the jailhouse has to have their health monitored."

"Every time Kuvira was due to be looked at by the doctor, there was a power surge," he answered. Mako pulled a pen from his pocket, uncapped it with his teeth, before circling a few spots on the graph where some lines reached the highest point.

As he busied himself by marking the paper, Lin started to pick up the papers from the floor. Gathering them up into a haphazard pile, she looked at the one on the top of the stack. "Look at this," she instructed. Mako placed the graph back onto the desk before joining Lin at her side. "The same two guards would be on duty whenever she would go to the doctor." Crumpling up the paper in her hands, she threw it across the room. "Damn it!" Lin shouted. She slammed her fist onto the table, denting the surface. Mako took a small step away as she straightened back up, running a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she muttered. "Well, I don't know exactly, but the two guards who were always present when Kuvira would go to the doctor…I sent them along with my group of officers to bring Kuvira back. They're with her somewhere in Ba Sing Se." Lin turned towards Mako. "I have a bad feeling. She's in danger."

The radio crackled on, echoing around the quiet office. Su's voice floated among the shadows, filling in the empty space. Her calls and shouts for interaction bounced off the walls. The office door opened, bringing in some light from the hallway. The office light clicked on, shortly before the radio was picked up.

\---

"Hello, mother," Baatar Jr yawned. He lifted his glasses before rubbing his burning eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness you're there," Su sighed in relief. "Where is Opal?"

"She just recently left for a mission with some other airbenders," he answered. "A few hours ago, actually. Do you need dad? He is in work room, starting a new project. We're working in shifts-"

"No!" she barked. Baatar Jr looked at the receiver in his hand in confusion before gently lowering himself into a chair. Placing his hand on the back of his right knee, he picked up his right leg and placed it onto the nearby table, resting it against the corner. "Okay, listen to me carefully," she instructed.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I need you take hop on the next train and-"

"What?" Baatar Jr asked. He rubbed his glabella, trying to push away the headache that was beginning to form. "What are you talking about? It is very early in the morning here-"

"Junior, this is important!" Su shouted. "I need your help, and Opal's."

"With what?"

Baatar Jr frowned a silenced emitted from the radio. He twisted and turned the knobs a few times, checking to make sure the frequency was correct. "Junior…" Su said quietly. "Kuvira is somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. We think she may be in Ba Sing Se…"

"…Damn," Baatar Jr muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you okay?" Asami asked as she stepped out onto the small balcony of the hotel room. Korra looked over her shoulder and smiled softly as Asami closed the door behind them. She returned her attention back to the city's landscape in front of her.

"I'm fine, just thinking," Korra answered, crossing her arms and resting them on the railing. Asami leaned against the railing next to her, their arms touching.

"Uh oh," Asami giggled. "What are you thinking about?"

The wind shifted, blowing Korra's short bob around wildly into her face. Asami reached out and ran her hand through the Avatar's hair, brushing it back out of her face. "You," Korra answered simply. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, before glancing out at the skyline once more. "You, and your dad, and…everything." She shrugged.

Asami waited for her to continue but was met with silence. A moment later, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pouch. Untying the pouch, she shifted through the cool pieces of metal before pulling out the smallest one. "Copper piece for your thoughts?" she asked.

Korra went cross-eyed as Asami waved the money in her face. The Avatar smiled brightly before gently curling Asami's fingers around the piece of metal in her hand. "Save it for your trip," she suggested. Glancing down at their intertwined hands, Korra placed her other hand on top of Asami's, cupping it gently. "I want to apologize again for lying to you."

"Korra-"

"Please, let me just get this out," she said firmly. Asami's eyebrows rose at her tone of voice but she nodded, pulling her lips into a straight line. Korra took a deep breath before licking her lips.

"I know…that you're giving up a lot to help her. You have every reason to be angry…furious even. She took something important from you among the many other things she did. And yet, I have this drive to help her because I've seen the real Kuvira. You're angry because all you think of when you notice her…is the Great Uniter, your father's murderer. You never got a chance to see the real her." Korra slowly pulled her hands away. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No one has, I guess. Except maybe her ex-fiancé …"

"What happened in the Spirit World?" Asami asked quietly.

Korra exhaled sharply through her nose, her blue eyes narrowing. She bit her bottom lip before slowly shaking her head. Korra turned away, glancing at the sky as the sun rose, chaning the colors from a golden-pink to a light blue. Lit underneath the sun's rays, Asami noticed the look of sadness and compassion swimming in her eyes. "We came to an understanding. We're a lot alike. I can relate to her because we have a lot in common. She's the old me, that's why I can understand her. I can see the real her."

"What do you see when you see her?" Asami asked quietly. Korra looked over at her, her eyes slightly narrowing. "I'm trying my best to understand. Please, tell me…"

"I see…a human who made a mistake. I see the ex-captain of the Metal Clan. I see the first person who tried to find the one responsible for allowing the Red Lotus to infiltrate Zaofu. I see a person who is a fantastic leader. She gained the title as The Great Uniter, because she didn't want to abandon her nation, and helped bring some balance to the Earth Kingdom. "Look around us," she prompted; waving her hand in the air, "this city is almost back to its feet. It is one of many."

Asami followed her command, looking down at the street below. Couples, families, everyone young and old, were out and about eating at small cafes, buying items from food carts, or just taking a stroll around the city. A few people stood on the street corners, begging for food, water, or money. However, they were few and far between, much less than in a well populated location like Republic City.

"Asami," Korra said gently. Roughly running a hand through her hair, she sighed hard, looking directly into Asami's eyes: "I know she killed your father, but she also saved mine," she reminded her.

Asami nodded slowly, biting the inside of her cheek. Korra turned around and leaned up against the metal railing, resting her elbows. She crossed one leg over the other, and watched with a smile as Kuvira sat on the large bed with Ayaka in her lap, reading a book to her. "Will you two be leaving soon?" she asked.

"Yeah, but we're going to have to stop in the city to buy some new clothes to blend in more," Asami answered, pocketing the small coin pouch. She then pulled out the bottom of her shirt, looking down at her outfit. "We kind of stick out with my red clothing and her blue clothing, well yours." Korra made a noise in agreement. "However, if anyone were to take a look at her right now, they'd have to look pretty closely to identify her."

"So for now, I guess we're fine," Korra commented. She looked over at Asami before standing up straight. "Be careful," she advised while straightening up.

"It's just a business trip, Korra."Asami said with a small laugh. "No need to worry."

"Still, get there and back safely."

"I will." Asami answered. She frowned, tapping a finger to her chin. "How long did it take for you to come up with your speech?" she asked, half-smiling.

"Well, there are two times in a day when I can gather my thoughts: when you wake up to wash off your makeup in the middle of the night, and when you wake up early to put some more back on," Korra answered with a shrug. Asami's eyes slowly widened. "I don't know why you hide it, you're beautiful no matter what you look like." The Avatar then smirked. "And, boy, I've seen you at your worst. Remember our run in with the groundhog spirits during our vacation?"

Asami tittered as the wind picked up. Her raven hair blew directly into her face. She winced and closed her eyes, turning her head away. Korra reached out and tucked a bit of Asami's hair back, her fingers lightly tickling the shell of her ear. She moved to pull her hand away, stopping when Asami placed her hand on top of hers.

"Um…" Korra muttered when she noticed Asami's eyelids begin to flicker. She forced her eyes closed before stepping forward, and pressing her lips against Asami's for the briefest of seconds. Upon pulling away, she felt her cheeks instantly warm. "Sorry."

Asami reached up and pressed a finger to her lips before smiling shyly. "No need to apologize." She grabbed hold of Korra's other hand, running her thumbs across the Avatar's knuckles. "It was nice." Korra happily squeezed Asami's hands, making a noise of surprise as Asami pressed a kiss to her lips, slowly adding pressure. Korra couldn't help but smile into their embrace, before tilting her head, deepening the kiss. The two quickly pulled away when they heard Ayaka giggling. The child clapped happily, kicking her feet back and forth, curled up in Kuvira's arm.

"Sorry for interrupting," Kuvira said with a raised eyebrow, "but we should head out soon." She shifted Ayaka's position in her arms, lightly bouncing her up and down, before walking over to Korra. "Go with Rora, honey. You'll be fine." She gave Ayaka a tight hug before passing her into Korra's arms. "Here you go." Kuvira held out a children's book and toy as Korra held Ayaka on her hip. Asami stepped to the side before leaning up against the railing of the balcony.

Korra held Ayaka in her right arm, before tucking the book and toy underneath her left arm. The minute Ayaka was placed into Korra's, she squirmed and kicked, turning to face Kuvira with her arms stretched out. Kuvira stepped forward and cried out in surprise when she was enveloped in a tight hug round her neck. She froze when she felt the young girl press a light kiss to her cheek.

Asami watched in silence, her arms folded and one foot propped up against the railing. She raised an eyebrow as Kuvira slowly reached up and touched the same area where Ayaka had kissed her, turning the slightest shade of pink. Asami cleared her throat before straightening up. "I'm just going to pack up my things."

Korra placed her empty hand on Asami's lower back, pulling her into a hug. Asami pressed into their embrace, wrapping her arms around Korra's neck, burying her head into the fold's of her collar, breathing deeply. Ayaka leaned over, looking in between the two of them before squeaking happily. When they pulled apart, Asami directed a smile at Ayaka, reaching a finger out and rubbing her knuckle against the girl's cheek, who in turn, reached out and wrapped her hand around Asami's finger, gasping quietly upon noticing the red polish. Asami stood still, uncomfortable with the interaction. Korra smiled at the two of them before placing a light kiss onto Asami's cheek, who blinked and moved, snapping out of her reverie.

"Give me five minutes," Asami instructed to Kuvira before walking over to the sliding glass door. Kuvira watched as Korra began to make a few silly faces to the child, who emitted more giggles. Crossing her arms over her chest, Kuvira shuffled over to the door of the balcony.

"Kuvira," Korra said, reaching out and catching her by the elbow. Kuira turned and looked at her as Asami stepped into the hotel room, sliding the door to the balcony closed behind her. "…Good luck on your trip."

Kuvira looked down at Korra's hand on the crook of her elbow, feeling a twinge in her chest at the heat radiating from the Avatar's palm. "Of course," Kuvira said with a nod. Korra nodded in response before releasing her grip. Kuvira cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder, watching as Asami gathered up her items and placing them into her pack. "So…" Kuvira couldn't help but half-smile. "First one?" she asked.

Korra's cheeks reddened as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, groaning lightly when she found a red streak marked her skin. "Yeah," she answered shyly. She rolled her eyes. She tried to frown when Kuvira started to snicker, but couldn't help but smile. "Shut up, Kuvira."

Kuvira held her hands up in mock surrender, before turning on her heel and walking over to the glass door. She slid it open and stepped inside. As she moved to close the door, Korra reached out and put her foot in the way. "Hey," Korra said quietly. Kuvira looked back at her, only to find Korra watching as Asami moved about the room. "Take care of her for me."

"It's just a business trip," Kuvira said with a shrug.

"I know, but it's all the same." Korra slipped the children's book and toy out from underneath her arm, placing it on a nearby table. She then stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Kuvira's back pulling her into a hug. Kuvira tensed at the sudden contact. She lightly placed her hands onto Korra's back before leaning into the hug. "You be careful too."

It had been a long time since she was held in the comforting embrace. To her recollection, the previous time was when she and Baatar Jr. announced their intention to reclaim Republic City as Earth Empire territory. They had plans to get married after the seized the city. It was the last time she felt that someone cared about her and her well being. He followed her ideals and supported her dream, viewing her as a person, not as The Great Uniter, the dictator.

However, since her arrest, he never went to visit her in jail, nor write a letter. Every time she tried to send her engagement ring back to him, the letter would be bounced back, even with proper postage.

Now, while being held in Korra's hug, she felt comforted. Kuvira inhaled deeply before closing her eyes, relaxing into her touch. A moment later she frowned. Her pulse stayed steady, she didn't shake or overheat, and she didn't feel nervous. Pulling away, Kuvira opened the sliding glass door and stepped into the hotel room, Korra entering right behind her.

"Ready?" Asami asked. She placed her pack onto her shoulders, brushing her hair back and pulling it up into a ponytail. Kuvira ran her hand through Ayaka's hair, lightly rubbing the back of her head, before pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah," Kuvira sighed. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was part of the next chapter but it was getting way too long so I decided to cut it in half. So, you'll have to wait until the next chapter to see the Kuvirasami adventure I have in mind. :)
> 
> Please let me know what you think! :) [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 23! Kuvirasami Adventure (Part 1)... Asami and Kuvira go shopping for Earth Nation clothing and run into a few of the undercover police officers from the train...

Kuvira winced, shielding the sun from her eyes as she and Asami exited the hotel they were staying in. A few passerby's nodded in their general direction, smiling. Noticing the gesture, she looked around the streets, confounded by the bright disposition of the residents of Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring. Even for being known as the most impoverish section, each person acted as if they weren't in dire straits.

_This place really has changed for the better. Did Baatar and I really do this? Do people really thank us for creating a difference, even though the rest of the world wants to see us suffer? Not that we wouldn't deserve it…although, if that were true, I wouldn't be running away from my punishment…And yet, this is the only way to prove that I want for things to be different. This is my chance to do it, the proper way, how I initially started this unification project…_

"Let's go over here," Asami instructed. Kuvira remained silent as she followed the engineer down the street. They turned a corner and quickly entered the shopping district. Tents, booths, and stalls were set up. Shouting and laughter filled the air as people did their business, bartering for common and expensive clothing materials. "Help me find something in a medium."

"What for?"

"I'm going to have to change my clothes. You as well, I'm guessing." Asami looked over at Kuvira out of her peripheral. "You must be tired of wearing water nation and air nation clothing." Kuvira looked down at Korra's water tribe gear. Tugging the warm material away from her abdomen, she silently agreed. "Besides, the last time I was in the Earth Nation, there was a bounty put over my head for stealing the Earth Queen's airbenders." Asami rolled her eyes. "There's bound to be supporters or the Dai Li roaming around. They'd easily recognize me in my fire nation attire, not to mention this Future Industries emblem on my jacket."

"That would be nonsensical," Kuvira stated. She frowned when an older woman brushed against her shoulder, forcing her way over to a stand that was selling green and gold robes. "Since the passing of the Earth Queen, Prince Wu…King Wu, was next to take over the throne, so-"

"So, you kind of ruined that plan." Asami turned and faced Kuvira, raising an eyebrow. "Or did you forget?" she asked.

"I have not," she answered, evenly. Lifting her chin, Kuvira stared Asami down. "I am only trying to state that the money for the bounty would be King Wu's. I don't think he would continue the warrant out for your arrest." The right corner of her lips twitched as she reached up and rubbed her temple. "At least not without toying the idea of a date first."

Asami tilted her head to the side, peering closely at Kuvira. "…He hit on you too, didn't he?" she deduced.

"Yes, he did make an attempt," Kuvira muttered. She cleared her throat before dropping her arms, clasping her hands behind her back as she fell in line behind Asami, moving through the crowd. She glared darkly at another woman who smacked her in the hip with her purse. "It was ill-worded, clearly him trying to aim high and show off his wealth." She noticed a stall that had pictures of King Wu on the front of t-shirts. "However, he seems to be respected now," she commented.

Asami happened to notice the stall and walked over. Picking up one of the shirts from the top of a pile, she held it up in front of her, gazing at the photo, before handing it over to Kuvira. "Interested?" she asked, her voice light and airy. While an innocent question, the tiniest of glints in her green eyes caused Kuvira to roll hers, at the playful assumption.

"No," she deadpanned. Asami shrugged her shoulders before refolding the shirt, placing it back onto the pile. As Kuvira moved to follow, she noticed a beauty mark on a cheek, sticking out from one of the other piles. Moving the tshirts, Kuvira found herself staring down at her own face. The words "All Hail the Great Uniter" were spelled out in scripture both above and underneath the photo.

"Those shirts are selling like hotcakes," the woman running the stall explained. "It's such a shame about what happened. She really did help provide structure to this city."

Kuvira nodded before running after Asami, who was dodging the flow of people with ease. "What was it you were saying about the Dai Li?" she questioned, once she caught up.

Asami kept her head facing forward, her eyes darting from shop to shop, holding a Ba Sing Se travel book, open to a page on clothing. Kuvira would have asked where she picked it up, but quickly assumed it was from the hotel or the train station. "Growing up, I read many texts books about the 100 Year War. The Dai Li insisted that there was no war, no corruption in Ba Sing Se. That it was the safest place in the Earth Kingdom."

Kuvira snorted. "Zaofu also boasted this claim, and yet the Red Lotus was able to infiltrate the city."

"Very true. Avatar Aang and the rest of the group quickly discovered how corrupted the city of Ba Sing Se was, when he was searching for the sand benders who stole is sky bison, Appa," Asami continued. "Their suspicions of the Dai Li only grew when conversations of Lake Laogai came about."

"The Dai Li was originally created by Avatar Kiyoshi to help protect the city," Kuvira pointed out, "While she is not living anymore-"

"It doesn't matter," Asami interrupted. "The members of the Dai Li still have someone to believe in, and use that to insist that their actions are right, when they are the opposite." She paused outside of a store, tucked away behind rows of stalls and booths. She quickly glanced back and forth between the building's sign and the Ba Sing Se travel book, before closing it with a loud snap.

Asami reached into her purse, depositing the travel book, and pulling out her wallet. She popped it open, gazing at the currency inside. "Shoot," she muttered.

"What's wrong?"

"We're almost out of cash. Once I use my card, it'll be easy to locate us." Asami reached up, slightly readjusting the hair tie that held her ponytail in place. Frowning, she looked over at the store sign. "Around this time, everyone in Republic City would have to know that I'm missing as well."

"Didn't you delegate?" Kuvira questioned.

"Yes, and I paid all of my workers twice their salary to help keep the ruse. I told them, that if anyone were to come asking, I'm away on business," Asami answered, raising a shoulder. She placed a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one side. "However, with Korra disappearing, along with Republic City's most sought after fugitive, it's only a matter of time before they connect the dots." She wiggled her eyebrows once. "In more ways than one."

With that, Asami walked into the clothing store. She raised a hand to cover her mouth before quietly sneezing. Kuvira coughed, waving her hand in the air, to clear the dust away from her. A thin layer coated every table, counter top, and mirrored surface. Kuvira wrinkled a nose as she followed Asami around the store.

The two moved quietly, shifting through various racks and bins. Kuvira noticed Asami froze when she reached into a box. Slowly, she removed her hand, wiped it onto the side of her jacket, and shuffled over to another section of the store, albeit very stiffly. Kuvira rummaged through the box Asami just looked through and let out a soft cry of disgust when she found a mold piece of bread tucked in between the folds of clothing.

_Okay, maybe not everything in this city is progressing. I will have to make sure to tell Korra, to let King Wu know about this problem._

Two men dressed in Earth Nation attire stepped into the small store; one had short brown hair, and the other sported a thick black mustache. Kuvira felt a chill rise up her spine the minute she spotted them. Quickly turning away, she pretended to be interested in a piece of jewelry – which appeared to be fake – sitting on a mannequin. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the men walk around the room, with their hands clasped behind their backs.

Kuvira inhaled slowly, trying to steady her now racing heart. Her hands began to shake, a twinge erupted in her abdomen. She slowly walked around the store; picking up and trying on a few hats, inspecting the laces on a pair of shoes, and glancing at the price tags of belts, to keep herself busy. The two men appeared to stay near the entrance of the store, taking interest in the small trinkets and knickknacks.

Aftet a few moments, the man with the short hair looked up and over in Kuvira's direction. She felt herself immediately tense up when they locked eyes. She felt the shaking in her hands, intensify. Nausea raced up the back of her throat, the bitter smell of chemicals made her stomach roll. The lights in the store began to flicker; Kuvira jumped at each flash.

"Are you or aren't you going to pick something out?" Asami called.

All at once, the smells disappeared, the flickering lights ceased, and her stomach eased. The man who was staring at her before, looked away when he heard Asami called out. Pushing his sleeves up, a button fell off of his shirt, dropping to the floor.

Kuvira looked away from the two men, instead focusing on a rack of dark colored robes. "This looks good enough," Kuvira said, pulling a hanger off of a rack. Dirt brown pants were draped off the lower rack, a sleeveless dark green robe rested on top. An undershirt, the same shade as the pants, was hung on the two small hooks near the top of the hanger. Finally, a black belt and black socks were draped around the base of the hanger's hook.

Asami looked up from a rack of clothing across the room. She eyed the materials in Kuvira's hands with skepticism. "You're not going to try on a few different styles?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're not here to shop," Kuvira snapped. "We're on a mission, remember? _You're_ mission."

Asami exhaled sharply through her nose. She placed a hand on her hip, eyes narrowing in Kuvira's direction. The store owner stepped out from the back, carrying a few boxes in his arms. He grunted at the two as he made his way towards the front counter of the store. "I know that," she said evenly, "but it's good to have options."

"Fine." Kuvira looked to her right. She found another outfit, in the same style as the first one she chose, but its colors were reversed. "This one is nice as well," she declared, draping the clothing over her arm. Asami rolled her eyes before continuing to browse through the rack in front of her. She ignored Kuvira, who followed silently behind her, sighing impatiently from time to time. "You may want to wash your face," Kuvira said.

"Why?" Asami asked, lightly touching her cheek. She rushed over towards a mirror, checking her skin. "What's wrong?" Reaching up, she rubbed the forearm of her jacket along the glass, wiping off a layer of dust, before glancing closer at her reflection.

"Nothing, it's just your makeup," Kuvira pointed out. "You look too Fire Nation." She stepped up next to Asami, looking at her reflection. "Here in the Earth Nation, we go with earth tones, and the natural look." She pointed at her face, motioning towards the eyeliner, mascara, and light dusting of green eyeshadow on her eyelids. "Less is more."

Kuvira noticed the sudden shift in Asami's demeanor. Glancing sadly at her reflection, Asami reached up and touched the makeup around her eyelids, before running her thumb against her dark lips. Clutching the clothing to her chest, she marched over towards a dressing room. "I'll just be a moment," Asami said quietly.

Kuvira nodded, taking a few steps back. She stood near the dressing rooms, close enough if Asami were to call out, but giving her enough distance for privacy. The two men continue to stand at the front of the store, however, they didn't easily conceal that they were watching Kuvira. The man with the short brown hair smirked, before winking over at her. He then turned and started chatting with the man behind the counter, smiling gently.

Before Kuvira could move, Asami emerged from the dressing room, her backpack dragging along the ground, her head bent at a low angle. Kuvira followed as the engineer walked over to a floor length mirror. Quietly, Asami took a breath before glancing at her clothing in the mirror. She was wearing light green pants with a dark sleeveless green dress robe on top. A green headband was wrapped around the crown of her head, and her dark raven hair, was pulling back into a loose ponytail. Black forearm length gloves covered her hands, which matched her dark black shoes. "So?" Asami faced Kuvira, releasing her hold on her backpack and holding her arms out to the side. "What do you think?"

Kuvira remained silent, her eyebrows raising. She closely scanned Asami's face, sweeping past her eyebrows, towards her eyes, to the bridge of her nose, her lips, and then finally her chin. Kuvira held up a finger and plucked a smaller mirror off of a nearby table.. Wiping the dust off of the surface, she held it up in Asami's face. "…You look like me," she announced. Frowning, Asami received the mirror, peering at her own make-up free reflection.

"L-let's just pay, and go," she said quietly. Passing the mirror back to Kuvira, she placed her backpack onto her shoulders. Stepping around the metalbender, Asami headed towards the front counter. Kuvira turned and looked at the front door, hoping that Asami would take a look at the two men in the store, but they were nowhere to be found. Kuvira placed the two Earth Nation outfit she picked out onto the front counter. Asami waited, tapping a finger impatiently, as the store owner continued to unpack clothing from the boxes.

Kuvira walked towards the front door of the shop. A light crackling sound filled the silence when her foot came down on something small. Asami crossed her arms over her chest, sighing, a bit harder this time, when the man behind the counter finally noticed her and began to ring up their items.

Moving her foot, Kuvira bent down and picked up the small circular object. Rolling it around in her hand, she noticed that it was a button; however, it wasn't the type robe or shirt button. Printed on the front was a small lightning bolt. Kuvira's entire body turned ice cold as she inhaled sharply. Standing up, she stormed out of the shop and into the bustling streets. Ignoring the men and women who would bump into her, she looked over the numerous heads bobbing up and down with the flow of the crowd, trying to find them.

Asami exited the store, shoving the few yuan bills and coins into the pocket of her new Earth Nation clothing. "What are you doing?" she asked, once she spotted how alert Kuvira was, constantly shifting her position to look into the sea of people.

Kuvira turned to answer her, but paused, her eyes slowly widening. The two men were standing off down the sidewalk, staring at her with intent. Glancing down at the button

_"Doctor," the guard with the keys greeted a man sitting in a corner reading a magazine. He looked up at the mention of his name and gave a curt nod, before taking in the sight of a battered and bruised Kuvira. He bit the inside of his cheek as she took in her surroundings. The two guards who had brought her into the room, picked her up and dumped her into the chair._

_Kuvira grunted as the wind was knocked out of her. She gasped for air as the guard with the keys motioned for the other two to leave the room. As they turned, Kuvira caught sight of the icon on their shirts: small lightning bolts. They both smirked over at Kuvira before heading towards the exit. One of the guards reached into the breast pocket and pulled out a pair of Republic City police badges. The two fastened them over the lightning bolts on their shirts before exiting the room. Kuvira stared at the swinging doors, watching as her only means of escape closed._

"It's them," Kuvira said. She grabbed Asami by her upper arm, ducking back behind a stall. "It's _them_."

"Who?" Asami asked.

"The doctor," she hissed. "They worked with the doctor."

"What doctor?"

"They were on the train. Beifong's police force." Kuvira jerked Asami to her feet with a hard tug. "Run!" she ordered, tearing down the street, practically dragging Asami behind her. She sped up her pace when she heard shouts behind them, and then the barrage of footsteps.

Asami reached her hand behind her, slipping it into the top of her backpack and pulled out her electric glove. She slipped her hand inside and locked it onto her left wrist, firing up the center. Kuvira spotted the electricity and faltered over her two feet, stumbling to the ground.

"No," she shouted, when Asami reached out to help her stand back up. Glancing over her shoulder, Kuvira spotted the two men catching up to them. Rolling herself over onto her back, Kuvira rolled backward, popping herself back up to her feet with a kip up. She then dropped low, placing both of her hands on the ground as if she were to do a cartwheel, and began to swing her legs around in the air, performing an airflare.

Kuvira kept her eyes trained on the ground, focusing on the footfalls of the two men as they advanced. Once they crossed the street and stepped onto the sidewalk, Kuvira landed on her knees, slamming both fists into the ground. Two rock pillars popped out of the ground as the men stepped down with their right foot, sending it off in a different direction, causing them to drop into a split.

As they cried out in pain, Asami rushed over and shocked the two men with her glove. Kuvira ran up and gripped the engineer tightly by her upper arm, tugging her down an alleyway. Kuvira released her hold on Asami's arm, tearing down the maze of twists and turns.

"I think…they're coming," Asami wheezed.

Kuvira tried to slow down and look over her shoulder at the same time. Her heel caught on a protruding object, shifting her weight, causing her to begin to lean backward. Glancing over her shoulder, Kuvira spotted a dark opening behind her. Waving her arms to catch her balance, she spotted the two men emerging around a corner. Asami quickly stepped forward, reaching out for Kuvira's hand with her electric glove covered hand. The metalbender quickly moved her hand away, the motion causing her to topple over into an open cellar.

Crash landing on her hands and knees, she groaned as pain erupted in her joints. Coughing, Kuvira slowly got to her feet. Limping towards the door, she reached her arms out, and caught Asami as she was pushed through the opening. The force of Asami colliding into Kuvira's arms caused the two to fall to the ground.

"It looks like you did our job for us," one of the guards said, sneering down at the two of them. "Now, we just need to call up Chief Beifong and get her here as soon as possible." Kuvira helped Asami to her feet, checking her over for any injuries or bruises. The two men laughed as they each grabbed a cellar door, closing it shut. The light tinkling sound of metal floated on top of the air, soon followed by a quiet click. Kuvira growled darkly. She thrust her hand out, clenching it into a fist. Closing her eyes, she twisted her hand from the left and to the right. The metal chains and padlock didn't budge. She gasped in shock, slowly dropping her arm.

"Nice try," one of the other guards jeered. "These chains and locks are made of platinum. Only the best from Chief Beifong."

A sweat broke out over Kuvira's skin. She quickly turned away from the door, glancing around the stone walls and the racks of food and beverages. A rat squeaked loudly as it brushed by her feet, holding a piece of bread in its mouth. Asami brushed past her, pushing hard on the wooden door. Kuvira's hands began to shake as she looked around the room.

"We're trapped," Asami muttered. She whipped her forehead free of sweat. "The door won't budge." Placing her hands on her hips, she slowly walked around the perimeter of the cellar, lightly kicking at each piece of rock. "Everything looks pretty solid."

Kuvira hugged herself, rubbing her arms with her hands. Breathing shallowly, she placed her back against the wall furthest from the door. Kuvira's hands made its way into her hair as she collapsed onto her knees. "It's too small," she whispered. "It's like a cell."

"We have to find a way to tell Korra." Asami walked back towards the cellar door. Peering through the space of the wooden door, she made a noise of discomfort when she spotted the two men standing a few feet away. "She'll know how to get us out of this." Turning, she paused when she spotted Kuvira on the floor, rocking back and forth.

Kuvira's olive green eyes were in Asami's general direction, but they didn't seem to focus on anything. Her fingers ran up and down her scalp, causing her hair to loosen from the bun at the crown of her hair. Strands of her dark hair fell around her face.

"So small," she muttered. Asami rushed over, dropping to her knees. "…so small…the room…the doctor…" Asami gently placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. The metalbender flinched away, smacking her hand away. Kuvira pulled her knees to her chest, sitting down on the ground. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she dropped her head into her lap. "Don't touch me!" she shouted. "Don't let him touch me,"

"What's wrong?" Asami asked.

"I'm sorry," she chanted. "I'm so sorry. Please, don't." Kuvira lifted her head when she felt Asami's hand on her arm. Looking over at the engineer, her olive green eyes widened in fear. "Don't." she shouted. "Don't!"

"Look at me." Asami placed her hands on Kuvira's cheeks, turning her head in her direction. Kuvira's heavy breathing intensified with each passing second. "Everything is okay." Asami grunted softly when Kuvira pushed her away. The metalbender dropped to her side, pulling her legs up, nestling into the fetal position. "Everything will be okay," Asami said quietly. "Breathe in through your nose, and out of your mouth."

Kuvira gasped for air, before shakily inhaling through her nose. Asami nodded encouragingly, demonstrating the same action. When Kuvira glanced in her direction, they locked eyes. Asami didn't turn away; she kept her gaze steady, forcing herself not to blink. She smiled softly when she noticed the color returning to Kuvira's face. Asami grabbed a hold of Kuvira's hand, rubbing her thumb along the back of her knuckles. "You're safe," she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This chapter is about 4k words long. The Kuvirasami Adventure arc, if you can call it that, will be split into two (maybe three) parts.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! :)  
> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 24! Kuvirasami Adventure (Part 2): Kuvira confesses as to why she has an aversion to electricity, before the cellar doors open...

Asami coughed harshly, expelling the stale and dusty air from her lungs. She licked her lips, swallowing the little bit of saliva in her otherwise dry mouth. As the cool moisture coated her throat, she shifted around, trying to find a more comfortable position. Glancing down at Kuvira, she slightly loosened her grip on her hand, stretching her fingers and knuckles.

Kuvira’s head was resting on Asami’s knee, her breathing shaky and shallow. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, her eyes staring at the opposite end of the room, unfocused. A chill filled the air as the light outside of the cellar began to fade, indicating the setting sun. A quiet growl filled the enclosed space.

Leaning over, careful as to not stir Kuvira, Asami grabbed her pack and scooted it closer to her. Unfastening the cover, she reached her hand inside and pulled out the few remaining snack packs from her bag. Kuvira shifted, shivering from the cool air in the room.

“There’s not much left of our food, so we’re going to have to cut back a bit,” Asami announced. Kuvira muttered something in response, her lips barely moving across the engineer’s knee. Asami quickly leaned forward, brushing her dark hair away from her ear.

“What’d you say?”

“They’re not…with Beifong,” Kuvira rasped. She coughed twice before swallowing hard. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, frowning at the slight patch of drool on Asami’s pant leg. It was then she noticed their hands were still intertwined. Kuvira ripped her hand away with a firm tug. Wincing, she placed a hand on her side, rubbing at the sore bump along her ribs. Kuvira brushed away a small clump of dust from her hair. “They’re rogue. They’re not going to find Beifong.” Kuvira cleared her throat. “They more than likely came along just to find me.”

“Um…w-well…” Asami trailed off before even starting her sentence. She wanted to mention her current situation of being on the run, but decided not to bring it up. It wasn’t the time to make an obvious comment about their current situation, especially since she somewhat willingly went along with the whole plan. 

“They must have connections to the Earth Nation,” Kuvira continued as if Asami wasn’t in the room with her. Her dark green eyes were transfixed on cellar doors. “After everything I did…I don’t blame them.” Glancing down at her hands, she inhaled sharply upon noticing how much they shook. Clasping them together, lacing her fingers, she placed her hands into her lap.

“What did they do?” Asami asked. Kuvira looked over at her, a look of surprise flashed across her irises when she remembered that she wasn’t alone. She shifted uncomfortably, tilting her head to the side, wincing at the stretching muscles. “You were acting weird earlier…”

“What do you mean?”

The engineer nodded over at her electric glove that was sticking out of her pack. Kuvira glanced at it and flinched, quickly reaching up and rubbing her bare arms to hide her discomfort. Asami bit the inside of her cheek. “You wouldn’t let me touch you with my glove. The electricity turns off,” she said gently. “You wouldn’t have been shocked.”  
“Wouldn’t anyone be weary around electricity?” she snapped.

“So, you’re saying you don’t trust me to use my own glove?” Asami questioned. Kuvira grunted in response. “…They did something, didn’t they?” she concluded. The metalbender’s jaw clenched, a muscle in her neck twitched. “You’re afraid of being shocked.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“You also seem to cower when there’s a thunderstorm as well.”

“So?”

“I’m not making fun of you, Kuvira.” At the quiet and calm tone to her woods, Kuvira couldn’t help but glance over at the engineer out of the corner of her eye. The engineer had pulled her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She began to pick at the chipped nail polish on her fingers, ignoring the pieces flaking onto her shoe laces. 

“Stop acting like you understand everything.” The biting tone in Kuvira’s voice had softened a bit; however, the edge was still present. “Stop acting like you understand me.”

“We have more in common than you think,” Asami said. Kuvira snorted in reponse, shaking her head. A scoff soon followed “I’m afraid of fire,” Asami admitted. Kuvira paused for a moment. “My mother was killed by a robbery gone wrong. A firebender didn’t think anyone was home. She tried to protect me. All I remember is her telling me to go and find my dad, and of course the smoke and heat.” The engineer took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling out of her nose. “Now, two of my good friends are firebenders. It’s kind of ironic, but I feel safe around them because they can control it.” 

“They tortured me.” Kuvira blurted out.

“Mako and Korra tortured you?”

“No; you imbecile!” Kuvira snapped. Asami looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips. “Sorry,” she muttered in reply. The engineer’s eyebrows rose at the apology. Asami turned and pulled out one of the few remaining snack packs from her bag. After pouring in the water, she sealed the bag shut, waiting for it to heat up. “Something…happened.” 

“I figured.” Asami carefully opened the snack pack, wincing as the steam billowed out around her hand. She handed the package over towards Kuvira along with a fork. The metalbender nodded once, before receiving the package. She glanced into the opening, and mentally plotted out how to ration the food in half, before sticking the fork into bag and taking a bite.

“Those two guards,” Kuvira mumbled around a mouthful of food, pointing over to the locked cellar door with her elbow. “…they work with the prison doctor. They ran some…tests.”

“What kind of tests?” 

Kuvira inhaled sharply. She closed her eyes. “Pain tests. They have some sort of connection to the Earth Kingdom.” After a moment of silence, she slowly opened her eyes once more, frowning slightly. The olive tones in her irises darkening. “After what I did, they wanted me to understand how much pain I caused them,” she whispered.

“H-h…how?” Asami asked quietly.

“Have you ever heard of electric shock therapy?”

“Yeah, using electricity to help…muscle…contraction,” Asami slowly down as she peered closely at Kuvira. Understanding settled among the silence as Kuvira slowly continued eating, her hand slightly trembling. At first, Asami had assumed it was from the drop in temperature, but it wasn’t until she noticed the metalbender’s clench that she was having some sort of flashback. Kuvira’s entire body was rigid as she stared straight ahead. “Oh! I’m so sorry.”

Kuvira blinked, raising a shoulder, before she resumed eating. “It’s okay,” she muttered.

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes. It is,” Kuvira insisted. She finished her portion of the food before handing it over to Asami, who received it and placed it onto her pack, careful not to spill any portions onto the ground. “I deserved it.”

“No, you didn’t.” Asami slowly shook her head. “You may have done some horrible things, but no one deserves to be treated like that.”  
Kuvira lifted her chin. “Upon my surrender I said I would accept any punishment the city deemed fit.”

“But, it wasn’t properly agreed upon.” Asami grabbed a hold of Kuvira’s shoulders and gently shook her. The metalbender regarded her with a raised eyebrow, before turning away. “They were just being…evil. No one,” Asami gripped Kuvira by the chin, forcing her to lock eyes, “ _no one_ , deserves to go through anything like that. That includes you.”  


Lifting her hands up, Kuvira tightly gripped Asami by her wrists, removing her hands from her shoulders. “This isn’t something you could possibly understand.”

“…So help me understand.” 

Before Kuvira could say anything in response, the chains on the door of the cellar rattled. She dropped the snack pack to the ground and quickly moved to her feet. Asami watched as the metalbender moved back into a corner as the harsh voices of the two police officers came from the opposite side of the door. 

“Don’t worry,” Asami said in a hush. “I’ll think of something.” She looked around the small cellar and found an old rusted piece of pipe on the floor buried underneath a thin layer of dirt. She quickly brushed it off and lightly tossed it up in the air, to gauge its weight. “Step back,” Asami ordered. Kuvira collapsed against the cool, brick wall, beads of sweat dotting her forehead, her breathing intensifying. 

Asami breathed slowly, before gripping the pipe with two hands. She shifted her stance and tightened her grip around the pipe, holding it up to her right shoulder like a bat. Her eyes narrowed as she heard the loud banging of the chains being pulled off from the cellar doors. The minute they flung open, light from the full moon shined down into the room. Asami winced, turning her head away and shielding her eyes with her arm. 

“Are they still alive?” a gruff voice asked. Asami shifted before running straight towards the opening. Shifting her grip on the pipe, she held it horizontally out in front of her before ramming it straight into the taller of the two men’s guts. He cried out in agony, a moan of pain echoing along the narrow alleyway. 

“What the f-” the shorter police officer cried out in shock. He quickly rushed over to Asami, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a baton. Asami swung her leg back, connecting with him in the chest. He grunted as the wind was knocked out of him. She snapped a sharp kick to his wrist, knocking the baton high into the air. Asami caught it in her empty hand, and shuffled back, watching closely as the two men staggered to their feet. 

“Shoot,” she cried when she felt a tight grip envelope her ankles. Asami looked down and spotted her feet encased in two shells of rock. Pulling lightly, she felt her muscles begin to scream at the exertion of her struggle. 

“No one to help you now,” the taller of the two police officers snarled. Asami tightened her grip on the pipe and the baton, readying herself as they advanced. 

She blinked in surprise as the two police officers were knocked off of their feet from being rammed in the side. The earth around her ankles smoothed out. She sighed in relief as the pressure immediately went away. Turning, she spotted the dark figure stalking towards the two officers with a slight limp. Asami strained to see which figure was which in the darkness. A moment later, she quickly moved to the side, pushing herself up against a building as two bodies were hurtled through the air and landed on the ground in a heap. 

“You did that?” Kuvira asked, as she poked her head out of the opening. While her voice was light, she did seem impressed. Kuvira’s legs shook while ascending the small staircase. Her skin was pale, her breathing somewhat shallow. She handed Asami her pack before slipping her own onto her shoulders. 

Asami dropped the pipe before accepting her backpack. “No, I didn’t,” she muttered while slipping the straps onto her shoulders. She looked up and down the alleyway, looking for the person who had helped them, ignoring the two unconscious police officers in a heap next to the cellar opening. The sound of creaking metal caught her attention. She glanced over at Kuvira who shook her head before pointing up towards the sky. 

High up on a fire escape, a dark figure clambered up a few more steps before disappearing over the ledge of a building, onto the roof. Kuvira moved, trying to get in a good position to see more of the roof, the light from the full moon outlining every solid object.. 

“Hey, come back,” Asami called out. 

“Just leave it,” Kuvira said with a sigh. “They’re gone.” 

Asami dropped the pipe to the ground. The two police officers stirred at the clang of metal. Kuvira quickly metalbent the pipe into two pairs of handcuffs, locking the two up to a nearby dumpster. “We should head back. Korra may be worrying.” 

“No, we left for a reason so we’re not going to go back until we finish.” 

“Clearly, it’s not safe-” 

“When is anything ever safe?” Kuvira countered. “You were right.” Asami looked at her in confusion. “…when you said before that we have a lot of similarities,” she admitted. “You aren’t the only one wanting to find more information about their family.” 

Asami regarded her for the longest time. Kuvira adjusted the backpack on her shoulder before shrugging. She turned on her heel and began to head towards the end of the alleyway. The sounds of cars passing and the shouts of people running food stalls became louder with each step. Kuvira slightly slowed her pace when she heard footsteps behind her. A few moments later, Asami fell into step with her, panting lightly. 

“Then lead the way,” Asami instructed as they merged into the busy street. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! :)  
> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon returning to the hotel, Asami proves how much she's beginning to trust Kuvira...

"Korra," Asami whispered as she and Kuvira re-entered the hotel room. Once the door closed and all of the locks where in place, she called out a bit louder. She heard a response from the bathroom, in between loud splashes. Asami and Kuvira

"Hey, how'd it go?" Korra asked. She waved her hands in the air, forming a decent sized bubble of water. She instructed Ayaka to close her eyes, before allowing the bubble to break over the child's hear, washing the soap out of her hair.

"Fairly well," Asami answered with a shrug. She was standing in the doorway with Kuvira at her side. She looked over at the metalbender and gave a quick wink, which for the slightest second Kuvira through was an eyelid twitch, before entering the bathroom and glancing at her reflection in the mirror.

"Hi," Ayaka called out happily, waving frantically at Kuvira. The corner of Kuvira's lips curled up slightly, before she gave a small wave back. Korra glanced over at Asami, taking in her Earth Nation clothing. The two locked eyes in the mirror.

"Well, that's a change," Korra commented.

A look of discomfort crossed Asami's face before a light flush raced across her cheeks. Tucking a bit of hair behind her ear, she began to open and close the drawers of the sink cabinet. "I look weird," she mumbled.

"You look fantastic," she said sincerely. "Green is a good color on you. It matches your eyes." Korra reached out and carefully wiped a few soap bubbles away from Ayaka's eyes. The little girl smiled up at her before splashing her hands into the water. "In fact, I think they make them look more intense." She shrugged. "I don't think you can ever not be pretty…it's annoying sometimes."

"Thank you," Asami said dryly, her smile going against the tone of her voice.

Korra snickered before looking over at Kuvira, who was still standing in the doorway, silently watching the people in front of her. She was stiff, her hands clasped behind her back, her face expressionless. "Are you okay?" Korra asked.

"I'm fine," Kuvira frowned. "Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure everything went okay, that's all." Korra shrugged. She held her gaze for a moment too long before turning her attention back to Ayaka and finishing up her bath. Kuvira stepped into the bathroom and crouched down by Korra so that her lips were close to her ear. She glanced over her shoulder at Asami, checking to make sure she was still busy.

"You knew the entire time," Kuvira concluded. Korra raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Asami who was washing her face at the sink, but remained quiet. "You knew it wasn't a business trip."

"Asami always has business to do, but it was the thinnest lie I've ever her head say," Korra answered with a smile. She grabbed a towel from the towel rack on the wall before wrapping Ayaka up in it and pulling her out of the bathtub. Kuvira moved her hand, bending the metal chain that held the stopper in the bathtub, pulling the plug and letting the water begin to drain. "I thought that the trip would do you both some good, to be honest." Korra looked over at Asami once more before dropping her voice even lower. "You seem like you're…"

"What?"

"I don't know…like you're friends," she said with a shrug.

"We just reached an understanding." Kuvira took over in drying off a squirming Ayaka, so that Korra would be able to bend the water out of the child's hair. "To call us friends at this point would be foolish. She made that point quite clear."

"At least she's taking the necessary steps to get to that point," Korra answered, pride laced with every word. "No matter how long it may take."

Once Ayaka was completely dried off and changed into a pair of pajamas – which were too big on her that they had to be fastened back with a pin – she instantly ran over to Kuvira and jumped into her arms. Kuvira gave her a tight hug and then sat down at the end of the bed, placing Ayaka next to her. The toddler instantly began to try and keep Kuvira's attention by showing her some a new toy that Korra had acquired while they were gone.

Asami exited the bathroom with a pair of hair scissors in her hands. She held them by her thumb and index finger, the blades separated and pointed directly at Kuvira, as she briskly crossed the room.

"Whoa there," Korra shouted, reaching out and grabbing Asami by the wrist. "If this is your idea of trusting someone, then I worry about my own safety," she joked. Asami glanced over at her, gently smiling. Kuvira turned her attention away from Ayaka, tensing when Asami held the scissors out to her. Korra loosened her grip. Asami slowly closed the scissors and moved it in her hand so that the blades her resting in her palm.

"Calm down," Asami said quietly. She placed the scissors into Kuvira's hand, before reaching up and tugging on her ponytail, tightening the hair tie. "You were right, before, about me blending in."

"I was?" Korra asked slowly. Asami nodded. Kuvira quickly handed the scissors over to Korra. She glanced down at the cutting instrument before her girlfriend plucked them out of her hands. Asami took a deep breath before crouching down to the floor, pressing her back against the foot of the bed, placing herself in between Kuvira's legs. "What'd I say?"

"This is the last step I need to take." Asami titled her head back, glancing up at Kuvira who frowned in confusion. "Cut my hair," she ordered.

"What?!" Korra and Kuvira shouted. Ayaka reached out and ran her small fingers through Asami's dark locks.

"Pretty," she cooed.

"Thank you, but it has to go." Korra looked in between the two of them as they stared at each other. Kuvira slowly scanned Asami's face, the tension still carrying throughout her body, as if suspecting something to happen. Ayaka watched the two of them carefully before letting out a quiet sigh. She then grabbed a hold of Kuvira's hand, lifting her arm, so that she could snuggle into her side. Kuvira blinked, looking down at the child, before slowly reaching her left hand out. Asami broke their intense stare, glancing down at the scissors in her hands.

"Are you sure?" Kuvira asked, putting heavy emphasis on her words. "Why not let Korra-" she quickly trailed off, glancing down at Ayaka. The child looked back up at her, unblinking. "…Why not let _Rora_ do it?"

"Because it'd be easier if she did." Kuvira wracked her brain for a response but couldn't think of one. She looked over at Korra, raising a shoulder as if silently apologizing for the situation she was being put in to. The Avatar shrugged in response, before holding up her hands. Kuvira nodded in understanding, quickly figuring Korra was silently telling her that Asami had a mind of her own, which Kuvira had found to be very apparent in the time they spent together in the last few days.

"Copycat," Korra muttered crouching down beside Asami, a soft smile playing on her lips. It was clear she was just trying to lighten the mood, although the situation wasn't funny. Asami knew, very well, the reasoning behind Korra's short haircut and her instance on keeping the style as of late. Korra reached up and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Very funny." Asami gave Korra's hand a light squeeze. Korra half-smiled in response. Kuvira cleared her throat before shifting her gaze down to Ayaka whose eyelids were beginning to droop. Kuvira gently scooped up the child and moved her towards the head of the bed, slipping her underneath the covers. Placing a light kiss to her forehead, she motioned to the other two to keep their voices down, by pressing a finger to her lips.

"Go ahead, Kuvira," Asami whispered when Kuvira crawled back toward the foot of the bed. She grabbed the earthbender by her wrist before slapping the scissors into her open palm.

"Why me?" Kuvira asked, glancing down at the metal in her hands. She kept her palm flat, bending the cutting instrument so that it floated above her hand. She forced the blades to open and close, checking it's sharpness.

"It's because I trust you."

"No, I'm not great at cutting hair," Kuvira muttered, a brief look of embarrassment flashed across her face. It was quickly chased away by a stony expression. "Why do you think my braid was so long?"

Asami and Korra shared a smile. Asami rounded her shoulders, before pulling her knees to her chest. She reached up and felt her long, dark hair one more time before wrapping her arms around her legs. "It's okay," she said, taking in a deep breath. "Go ahead."

Korra was instantly at her side, holding Asami's hand in a tight grip. Kuvira gathered up Asami's hair and metalbent the scissors so that they hovered at the edge of the hair tie, holding the ponytail. Kuvira looked closely, lining up the blades to where she felt was enough length. Taking a deep breath, she squinted and tensed her muscles. The scissors clamped down on Asami's hair, instantly cutting the strands. After inspecting her line, Kuvira placed the scissors onto the bed before leaning over and handing Asami her ponytail.

"Done," Kuvira said quietly. Asami received the clump of hair, holding it up by the hair tie, studying how long her dark locks used to be. Kuvira watched in silence as Asami ran had pale hand through her new short ends. The metalbender gently took her hand in hers, and moved it along the edges, showing how even of a line she had made. Finally, Asami climbed to her feet, leaving her ponytail on the floor by the foot of the bed. She fluffed up her hair a few times before finally turning to look at Korra and Kuvira face on.

"How do I look?" Asami asked quietly. She clasped her hands together, wringing them nervously. She swayed back and forth a bit, clearly uncomfortable underneath their gaze and silence.

"Beautiful," Korra declared.

Asami blushed lightly, glancing at the ground. She reached up and tucked the long strands of her bangs behind her ear. "You always say that," she said with a smile. While Korra did often comment on her beauty, she felt those words sink into very being. The Avatar was used to seeing her with long hair and makeup. Now that she had an almost-nude face and her signature hair was gone, she truly accepted the compliment.

Clearing her throat, Asami moved her gaze over to Kuvira. "Well?" she prodded.

Kuvira leaned back on the bed, resting on her forearms. Tilting her head to the side, she peered closely. "It may take some getting used to-"

"Tell me about it," Asami commented, once again reaching up and feeling the new, short ends of her hair.

"But, I think you look great," Kuvira finished.

"Thanks." Asami finally walked over to a mirror that was sitting on the wall. Korra and Kuvira watched her in silence as she began to fuss with her hair, moving her part from one side of her head to the other. Finally, she parted her hair back to where it originally was, letting her bangs fall across her right eye, tucking the long ends back behind her ear. "There, that's better."

"We should probably trim your bangs a bit, but now you look like an earth nation citizen," Kuvira said. She checked on Ayaka, who was in a very deep sleep, before turning her attention over to Korra. "So, what's the plan?"

Korra half-smiled. "Tomorrow, we go and talk to King Wu." Asami glanced at Korra's reflection in the mirror as Kuvira's jaw dropped.

"You found him?" Kuvira muttered.

"It's more like…he found me," Korra answered. She moved to sit in one of the chairs of the room. She crossed her arms over her chest, and one leg over the other. Asami and Kuvira shared a glance before walking over. Asami perched herself on the armrest of Korra's chair, as Kuvira stood in front of her, glaring down her nose at the Avatar.

"Details," she demanded.

A smirk played on her lips. "You tell me about your trip first," she answered. Asami inhaled slowly as Kuvira growled underneath her breath. "Fair's fair." Kuvira rolled her eyes as her frown deepened. Asami looked in between the two of them, before looking over at Kuvira, raising one shoulder. A light flush blossomed on Kuvira's cheeks as she began to shift uncomfortably.

"…It's kind of personal…for the both of us," Kuvira said through gritted teeth, looking intently over at Asam, who remained quiet and clasped her hands together before resting them against her knee.

"The Avatar demands that you tell the truth," Korra insisted.

Kuvira looked as if she really wanted to say something but was caught so off guard that her she repeatedly opened and closed her jaw. Asami clasped a hand over her mouth, struggling not to laugh. "What the hell, Korra?" Kuvira finally said, blinking rapidly as Asami let out a giggle.

"Hey, I'm not the one who insisted on thinly veiled attempts to try and convince me that it was a business trip." The Avatar poked Asami in the knee, making a silent point that she wasn't going to let her girlfriend off of the hook either. "I'm not that stupid."

"Depends on who you're asking."

"Shut up, Kuvira," Korra responded with a laugh.

Asami placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, catching her attention. "Korra, I was looking for information on my parents." She nodded over in Kuvira's direction. " _We_ were looking for information on our parents. I had asked her to go with me because he knows a lot of things about the Earth Nation. She did live here for three years. Plus, she'd understand," she explained gently. Korra nodded slowly. "We also kind of ran into trouble. We need to tell you something…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there's a bit of a time jump. This chapter was getting really long and the final part of the 'Kuvirasami Adventure' isn't coming out the way I want it to. I made an executive decision and cut the beginning part out of this chapter. Sso that will be the next chapter. Plus, i was really excited to get to this part because of the growth of the growing Kuvirasami friendship. Everything will be explained in the next chapter.
> 
> Also, i used [this photo](http://iahfy.tumblr.com/post/124367271520/otp-hair-style-swap-feat-flowers-%E3%83%84) as a reference for Asami's new haircut. It's a little NSFW, depening on your comfort levels, so I'm putting a warning here just in case.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! :)  
> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	26. Chapter 26

"Here it is," Kuvira said, peering around the corner of a building. She stepped back onto the alleyway, pressing herself up against the brick wall as a few members of the Dai Li marched down the street. "The Earth Kingdom Federal Building. It holds the Records Bureau."

"How do we get in?" Asami whispered. "The Dai Li are crawling the streets."

"That must mean they're protecting something," Kuvira deduced. She looked to her right and spotted a fire escape on the side of a building. "We'll get in from the top." Kuvira lifted a hand in the air, curled her fingers into a fist, and then quickly brought her arm down. The fire escape slid down and stopped with a sudden jolt. She motioned for Asami to climb first, checking over her shoulder for any Dai Li agents.

Asami quickly scaled the ladder. She got up onto the roof of the building. Kuvira looked up and shielded her eyes from the sun. Asami peered over the edge and gave her a thumb up. "Coast is clear," she hissed. Kuvira took the ladder two at a time. While reaching the top of the roof, Asami offered her hand, and helped pull Kuvira up. As soon as Kuvira's feet stepped onto the roof three Dai Li agents lept onto the roof from the opposite side of the building. "Or not," Asami muttered.

Kuvira charged forward before jumping into the air. Upon landing, she slammed her fists down hard. Two ovals of rock picked up from the roof and spun close to the Dai Li. As they dodged out of the way of the attack, Asami ran forward, turning on her electric glove. She moved to the right, to dodge a punch, before bringing her gloved hand into a Dai Li member's chest. He grunted in pain before collapsing to the ground. Kuvira grabbed Asami by the collar and pulled her out of the way as a piece of rock aimed for her ankles.

Kuvira spotted movement from the corner of her eye. A Dai Li agent had bent rock around their body to create some type of armor. Kuvira pushed Asami out of the way and rushed towards the Dai Li agent, easily moving around their extended arms. She moved behind them and bent low, sweeping her lag near their ankles. Kuvira cried out in shock as the Dai Li agent with the rock suit grabbed her leg and flung her across the room. Kovira landed on her feet. She waved her arms high in the air, bending pieces of the fire escape and wrapped them around the Dai Li agent's feet, locking them in place.

"Are you okay?" Kuvira asked as Asami climbed to her feet. She watched in satisfaction as the Dai Li agent grunted, struggling to move his rock covered feet. Before Asami could respond, her eyes turned wide. Kuvira cried out in shock as she felt something hard collide with her back. She dropped to her knees, wheezing. Asami ran over and tried to help Kuvira to her feet, whom in turn was gasping to catch her breath.

"Why are you so desperate to get into the federal building?" the Dai Li agent demanded.

Asami glared at him. Kuvira reached up and brushed her bangs out of her face. She coughed violently before dropping back to her knees. The Dai Li agent took a step forward before yelling in pain. An electric current raced over his body before he slumped to the ground. Asami rubbed Kuvira's back and gasped in shock when the figure dressed in all black gently tossed her electric glove at her feet.

"Go," he instructed. Asami tried to get a good look at the fighter, but he was dressed in all black. His face was covered with a dark mask.

"What?" Asami asked.

"Hurry, before they wake up and ask for backup," he instructed before turning and heading to the side of the rooftop.

"Hey!" Asami shouted. The dark figure turned to face them. He limped while taking a few small steps backward. "Who are you?" she demanded. The dark figure held a finger up to his lips before jumping off the building. Asami let out a curse before running over, glancing down over the side. Down below, people on the streets were rushing around, trying to get their shopping done as dusk began to fall.

"We don't have time for this. Let's go." Kuvira appeared at Asami's side, her voice raspy. She grabbed Asami by the arm. "We have an opening." She handed Asami her electric glove before scooping her up in her arms. She turned and faced the Federal building. Kuvira stomped her foot into the ground. Beneath her feet a pillar of rock from the roof erupted sending them flying into the air. Asami gripped Kuvira tightly as they soared through the air.

Asami grunted as the two landed on the roof of Federal Building. Kuvira ran over to two metal doors, close with a lock. She made quick work of the metal before dropping inside. She reached up and helped Asami into the building. Asami reached into her pack and pulled out a flashlight.

"Always be prepared," Asami said as soon as she noticed Kuvira looking at the item in her hand. Kuvira shrugged before leading the way down a nearby flight of stairs, her coughing increasing with every few steps. Asami was about to suggest they stop so Kuvira could catch her breath but began to cough as well. The floors and air was filled with a thick layer of dust. Asami let out a loud sneeze, blowing more dust into the air.

"Here it is," Kuvira said, pushing on a large door with her shoulder. Asami moved the flashlight around the room. Four long bins took up most of the floor space. The four bins were green, blue, white and red. The walls were lined with beat up and rust gray cabinets. A few drawers were pulled open, but the only thing inside was spider webs. Kuvira waved her hand in the in an attempt to get rid of the foul smell that invaded her nostrils. "I've only been in this room once, at the start of rebuilding…before I became…" she slowly trailed off, slowly swallowing to add moisture to her dry throat.

"So, where to start?" Asami asked, moving her flashlight around the room. Kuvira walked over to the green bin filled to the brim with folders. She began to flip through them, speaking quietly to herself. "You know where yours is?"

"They're in a set order," Kuvira answered. "I found mine last time, but I couldn't bring myself to read it," she admitted. Asami stepped back, giving Kuvira some room but keeping the flashlight pointed in her direction so she could see. Asami made a sound of surprise when her foot stepped on something soft.

Asami placed her electric glove onto her hand and turned it on, using its electric charge as extra light. She looked at the ground and noticed numerous folders and pieces of paper littered the ground. "This place looks ransacked," she commented. "There's a lot of papers on the floor, and what is that smell?" she asked.

Kuvira didn't answer and stopped moving. She placed her hands on the bins and leaned over, her shoulders hunched. Asami coughed and turned off her glove, re-pocketing it before walking closer to Kuvira.

"It's not here," Kuvira said.

"What?"

"This isn't dust, its soot and ash," Kuvira answered. She reached into the pin and pulled out a handful before letting it slip through her fingers onto the ground. "They must have destroyed my records."

"I'm sorry," Asami whispered.

"Don't," Kuvira said harshly. She straightened and snatched the flashlight out of Asami's hand. "Your family info is over here." She walked around three rows of bins before stopping in front of a long red bin. Asami looked at it before turning to glance over her shoulder. The other three bins were filled but not to the extent of the red bin; those were overflowing with folders and papers.

Asami held her hand out for the flashlight. Kuvira slapped into her palm and took a few steps back. She wheezed and coughed loudly before turning and spitting at the ground. She reached up and wiped the spittle from her lips. She spat again in disgust as soot landed on her tongue. Asami held the flashlight up to shoulder height and plucked a red folder out of the bin. It had a Future Industries logo on the front. Asami ran her thumb across it before opening it and reading the first page.

"Well…" Kuvira prompted.

"…Just info on my father, may he rest in peace," Asami said. She continued to read the paper in her hand. The orb of light from the flashlight began to bounce around. Kuvira carefully took the flashlight out of Asami's hand. She held it straight so that Asami could properly read the pages.

"I thought you hated him."

"I could never hate him."

"Have you forgotten what your father did?" Kuvira asked.

Asami looked over at Kuvira with a look of sadness. "No. History and people against the Equalist movement won't ever let me forget what he did," she said quietly. "However, he was also a person. This file reminded me of that. He lost someone important to him. He was hurting, Kuvira. I remember him as my father. He was a great man, and I forgive him for everything that he had done in the past."

Asami carefully tucked the documents back into their respective folders. "Yes, he worked with the Equalists to try and eradicate all benders to have everyone on equal footing, and I hated him for it. I despised the man that he became. He wasn't my father. He wasn't the one who taught me how to fix my bike, or to re-wire a radio, or stumbled over the embarrassing topics of puberty and womanhood." She paused, clearing her throat. "He wasn't the one who groomed me to take over the family business. He was human. While I was close with my mother, he saw my love for tinkering and embraced it. He didn't tell me to act like a lady or dress a certain way, he accepted me every time I stepped into his work room."

Kuvira remained silent. She watched as Asami placed the contents of her family's history into her bag. She noticed numerous other pages in the folder but didn't press the issue.

"My mother was killed in a house fire during an invasion of our estate," Asami said, catching Kuvira off guard.

Kuvira pulled her lips into a thin line as she struggled to come up with something to say in response to the tidbit that was just dropped into her lap. "At least you know what happened," she finally uttered.

"I have never seen a love before like my father had given my mother. He was in shock, and to him, avenging her death by working with Amon was what he saw as right, and I don't blame him. Not anymore," she admitted. "Anyone can change after going through a traumatic event, and that is normal. It shows that we are all vulnerable and in tune with our emotions as human beings."

"My father helped protect Republic City from you, Kuvira, and it is time I recognize him for all the good he did, not for the period where he had lost his way." Asami rolled her shoulder back, and lifted her chin. "To others, he was a monster. My father probably felt like he found his purpose."

Kuvira watched as Asami's eyes began to glisten under the shine of the flashlight. Asami raised a shoulder before turning away. Kuvira stood still. She wasn't too sure on how to offer comfort to the other woman. She cleared her throat and offered her condolences once more.

"Did you know, that when I returned to work, the clock in my office stopped today at 4:27pm, the time he passed during the fight?" Asami asked.

Kuvira winced, guilt flooding her system. "You mean when I killed him?" Asami didn't answer; she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round pocket watch. She held it up in the air, letting it dangle in between the two of them. The gold metal would sometimes catch the light, reflecting a light shine onto the floor.

"This watch I carry in my pocket, from my mother, hasn't worked since she passed. Yet, my father kept it and gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday. I will not replace the batteries. Like this watch, I won't touch that clock in my office," Asami said. "I want to keep it at that set time so I will never forget when he made things right in the city. It may have taken my three years to forgive him, but I can now say that I do." She yanked on the chain, sending the pocket watch into the air. She held out her hand and caught the watch in her palm, before repocketing it. "I love him, and I will miss him."

Kuvira nodded once. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Asami's shoulder. "Let's go back," Kuvira said quietly. "There's nothing else here and we've been gone for a while. Korra needs to know what happened."

Asami nodded once before following Kuvira out of the room.

\---

"And then we came back here," Kuvira concluded. Korra inhaled deeply. She stared at Kuvira, her head titled, before turning to look at Asami. Asami remained quiet, her gaze focused on the carpeted floor. Korra then looked back at Kuvira with a raised eyebrow. "That's it," she quickly added.

Korra nodded once. She cleared her throat before looking over at Ayaka, who was curled up in bed in a deep sleep. "I'm sorry you didn't find anything," Korra whispered. She reached out and placed a hand on top of Asami's.

"That's not important right now," Kuvira said. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. Glancing over at Ayaka, Kuvira raised a shoulder quickly wiping away a tear that had slipped out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, it is," Korra said gently, "for the both of you, whether you want to welcome your feelings or not." Kuvira reached up and scratched at the front of her hairline, using her wrist to wipe away the little bit of snot gathering at the edge of her nostrils. "But, I'm curious about the person who helped you. Lin and her police force, her actual force, are probably on our heels. Even though she is helpful, she always puts her job first."

"Whom else could it be?" Kuvira snapped.

"Someone who knows the Earth Kingdom like the back of their hand," she answered with a shrug. "Who knows how to get around the Dai Li."

Kuvira snickered. Asami got up from her perch on arm of the chair Korra was sitting in. She placed herself on the edge of the large bed, watching her two comrades. She crossed one leg over the other and began to bounce her foot. "And who do you think-"

"Wing or Wei?" Korra suggested.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed.

Asami glanced over at Korra and noticed her right eye had begun to slightly twitch. It was a sign that Korra was quickly losing her patience. Over the years she has toned down her impulsive tendencies but picked up new habits in its place. "They're you're family and-"

"I don't have a family."

"Yes, you do," Asami interrupted. "You're just too stubborn to see." Korra and Kuvira turned to look at her. Asami looked over her shoulder at Ayaka before reaching out and gently brushing some of her long hair out of her face. She cleared her throat before looking at the two of them. "Everyone has a family in some way, shape or form. I found mine three to four years ago."

Korra half-smiled. As she looked over at Kuvira her smile faded. In its place a look of annoyance and anger. Kuvira rolled her eyes and sighed hard before waving a hand in the air. "We should get ready for bed," Korra said quietly. "We're meeting with Wu very early tomorrow."

"You can take the first shower," Asami said.

"Nah, one of you go," Korra responded. "I'm sure you want to wash the gunk off you."

"I insist."

Korra made a sound of agreement before getting out of the chair and stretching. She leaned over and kissed Asami lightly on the cheek before shuffling over to the bathroom. She flicked on the light and closed the door. Kuvira and Asami remained quiet, but it wasn't until Asami heard the shower kick on that she said something. "Do you want to be alone?" Asami asked.

Kuvira looked over at her in confusion, raised an eyebrow. "Who wants to be-"

"Because if you keep acting like this, and pushing people away, then you will really be alone," Asami continued, her voice hard. Kuvira sighed but remained quiet, giving Asami her full attention. "Korra was just trying to help. I was trying to help. The Beifongs were trying to help when they gave you food and shelter," she pointed out.

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying, we risked our lives and necks to let you escape from Republic City, a place where you said you'd accept any punishment deemed fit," Asami reminded her. "I don't blame you for wanting to escape the pain from those two guards and their revenge, but maybe act a little more grateful."

Kuvira blinked. Her look of confusion quickly turned to anger. "…Who says I'm not?" she asked.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Asami commented. "We may not be friends, it'll take some time to get there, but I'm now open to the idea, after today," she said quietly. Her harshness soon faded and a look of compassion soon took its place. Kuvira clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Don't pity me," Kuvira demanded.

Asami inhaled slowly, her tongue sticking out to run over her bottom lip. "The way Korra and our friends work well as a team, is to be open and honest with each other. We all have different lives, but we trust each other."

"What makes you think I don't trust you?"

"I don't think that," Asami insisted. "I think you don't trust yourself with your own feelings. It's okay to be vulnerable from time to time. I've seen you with Ayaka, but then you put up a façade when you notice Korra or I am watching." Asami tilted her head to the side, her dark hair barely sweeping her shoulders. She reached up instantly to brush it away but stopped when she felt the short ends of her hair.

Asami sighed before getting to her feet. She walked over and stood directly in front of Kuvira. "We're both hurting in the same way, I'm just more comfortable with myself to express it. To express everything that I'm feeling." Kuvira stiffened. Asami smiled sadly before stepping away. "I'm going to run downstairs to grab some water. Sweet dreams, Kuvira."

Kuvira grunted as Asami exited the room. A few moments later the shower turned off and in its place, was the sound of a faucet turning on. Kuvira moved from her place along the wall when she heard Ayaka whimper. She quickly climbed onto the bed, and made herself comfortable. She pulled Ayaka in her arms, careful not to wake her up, and tucked the young child's head underneath her chin.

"I haven't dreamt in years," Kuvira whispered, "I only have nightmares."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my new twitter, [@AngelofStarzFFN](https://twitter.com/AngelofStarzFFN), for updates on all of my works!


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